Estimation of Contemporary Carbon in Fine Particle Aerosols from the 1987 SCAQS (Southern California Air Quality Study) Program

摘要

During the Southern California Air Quality Study of 1987, the aerosol content of biogenic carbon was investigated. Twenty-four hour fine particle aerosol samples were collected at four sites, and the carbon in the samples was analyzed for content of the radioactive isotope 14C (which decays with a half-life of 5730 years and is not present in fossil fuels). The percentage of modern carbon varied in 36 samples between 17.3 and 97.6%. These high contents of modern carbon indicate the possibility that 20% of the fine particle atmospheric aerosol (as organic matter and elemental carbon) in the southern California urban area is due to non-fossil fuel emissions.