Transport and transformation of atmospheric aerosol across Central Europe with emphasis on anthropogenic sources

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Hartmut Herrmann
• Subject Area: Atmospheric Science
• Term: from 2020 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 431895563

Since airborne particulate matter (PM) mass concentration is regulated by EU limits to protect human health, it is necessary to properly identify the main PM sources in order to manage local air quality. Different source apportionment approaches have been used in Europe: chemical transport models (CTMs) and receptor-oriented models (RMs). However, due to the multiple origins of atmospheric aerosol the source apportionment and consequently the development of efficient mitigation strategies are difficult. Therefore, application of advanced RMs on complementary data sets and adjustment or interconnection of their outputs in combination with CTMs enables precise and detailed identification of PM sources. However, this approach is lacking in Central European source apportionment studies.The ultimate objective of the project is to assess the transport and transformation of atmospheric aerosol across Central Europe with emphasis on anthropogenic sources (including coal and wood combustion) using synergic measurement methods (offline and online) and state-of-the art modelling tools (RMs and CTM). To reach the objective of the project, the expertise of the two partners (TROPOS, Germany and ICPF-CAS, Czech Republic) will be combined. Measurements will be performed during two intensive campaigns (summer and winter) at the two ACTRIS stations of Melpitz (MPZ, DE) and the National Atmospheric Observatory Košetice (NOAK, CZ) and completed by a third one (Frýdlant, FRÝ, CZ) located at the Czech-German-Polish border. Online measurements by aerosol mass spectrometers and offline comprehensive chemical characterization of the atmospheric aerosols will be used on different receptor models to identify primary and secondary sources. Taking the advantage of combining highly time resolved aerosol measurements with well identified chemical species will provide a unique opportunity for improving the source identification. Trajectory analysis enable to identify whether the identified sources can be associated to local emissions and processes or to long-range transport at each sites and identify the geographical origins. In order to cover a larger scale, simulations with the chemical transport model COSMO-MUSCAT (https://cosmo-muscat.tropos.de/) will be conducted and validated by the results at the three sampling places. This model system was developed at TROPOS and describes the atmospheric transport as well as the processing of several gas phase species and particle populations. Finally, different emission scenarios will be tested by COSMO-MUSCAT to investigate the impact of future mitigation policies on the particulate mass and aerosol chemical composition. The resulting close collaboration will enable transfer of knowledge between the partners.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Czech Republic
• Partner Organisation: Czech Science Foundation
• Cooperation Partner: Dr.-Ing. Vladimír Zdímal, Ph.D.