A Closure Study of Aerosol Hygroscopic Growth Factor during the 2006 Pearl River Delta Campaign

Measurements of aerosol physical, chemical and optical parameterswere carried out in Guangzhou, China from 1 July to 31 July 2006 during thePearl River Delta Campaign. The dry aerosol scattering coefficient was measuredusing an integrating nephelometer and the aerosol scattering coefficient forwet conditions was determined by subtracting the sum of the aerosol absorptioncoefficient, gas scattering coefficient and gas absorption coefficient from theatmospheric extinction coefficient. Following this, the aerosol hygroscopicgrowth factor, f(RH), was calculated as the ratio of wet and dry aerosolscattering coefficients. Measurements of size-resolved chemical composition,relative humidity (RH), and published functional relationships between particlechemical composition and water uptake were likewise used to find the aerosolscattering coefficients in wet and dry conditions using Mie theory forinternally- or externally-mixed particle species [(NH₄)₂SO₄, NH₄NO₃, NaCl, POM, EC and residue]. Closure was obtained by comparingthe measured f(RH) values from the nephelometer and other in situ opticalinstruments with those computed from chemical composition and thermodynamics.Results show that the model can represent the observed f(RH) and isappropriate for use as a component in other higher-order models.