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MEA130 ET/MEA320 MEA779
PM Hydrocarbons Meteorology Nitrogen Air Toxic

Aerosols in the Atmosphere

Short Course

Instructor:          Dr. Viney P. Aneja
                Professor, Air Quality; and Professor, Environmental Technology
                 Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
                 North Carolina State University
                 Raleigh, NC 27695-8208, USA

                 (919) 515-7808  Telephone
                 (919) 515-7802  Fax
                 e-mail: Viney_Aneja@ncsu.edu
                
Reading Material:     

1.  Lecture notes
2.  “Chemistry of the Natural Atmosphere”, Chapter 7 Academic Press, Peter Warneck, 2000.
3.  “Air Quality Criteria for Particulate Matter”, Volume 1, USEPA Report No. EPA/600/P-95/001aF, 1996.
4.  Selected Research Articles

Course Description:

Airborne particulate matter (PM) or atmospheric aerosol is not a single pollutant, but rather is a mixture of many subclasses of pollutants with each subclass containing may different chemical species. They are becoming of increasing interest in air quality. Recent epidemiological studies have found statistical associations between concentrations of ambient PM and mortality, morbidity, exacerbation of preexisting illness and physiologic changes. Aerosols come in a wide range of sizes, they originates form both anthropogenic (stationary, area, and mobile sources) and natural sources. They may be emitted directly by a source or formed in the atmosphere by the transformation of gaseous emission (i.e. gas-to-particle conversion). Their chemical and physical compositions vary depending on location, season, and meteorology. Aerosols play a role in a great number of environmental issues also. It affects human health, visibility, climate, and ecosystems. This course will provide the student with a background in the fundamentals of atmospheric aerosols. Both primary and secondary sources of aerosols will be discussed together with their transport and fate in the atmosphere. The importance of aerosols in present day urban, rural, and remote air quality together with ways to analyze atmospheric aerosol data will be addressed.

 

http://www.meas.ncsu.edu/airquality


SYLLABUS
Aerosols in the Atmosphere
Short Course

  1. Introduction and Fundamentals of Aerosols
    Nature and sources of particulate matter (PM), new PM standards, and PM compositions
  2. Importance of Aerosols in Air Quality
    Health and Welfare effects (Visibility, Climate change, Materials damage)
  3. Physics of Atmospheric Particles
    Size characterization, Physical configuration, Bulk material and surface properties
  4. Processes Affecting Particle Size
    Atmospheric particles increase in size by coagulation and growth; where growth can occur by condensation, vapor deposition, dissolution, and/or chemical reactions
  5. Aerosol Particle Morphology and Shape
    The morphologies (structures) and shapes of aerosol particles vary with composition and age
  6. Chemistry of Atmospheric Particles
    Chemical characterization, and Gas-to-particle conversion
  7. Sources of Atmospheric Aerosols
    Estimates for global production rates of particulate matter from natural and anthropogenic sources
  8. Removal Processes Associated with Aerosols 
    Aerosols are removed from the atmosphere by dry and wet deposition processes
  9. Atmospheric Transport and Fate of Airborne Particles
    Transport mechanisms, influence of transport on source regions, atmospheric residence time and spatial scales
  10. Ratioing as a tool to evaluate sources and data quality
    Data analysis and data quality development
  11. Ambient Particulate Matter Concentrations:  Patterns and Trends Chemical and size composition of particulate matter in urban, rural, remote, and marine environments

  12. Summary and Discussions
    Aerosol particles appear in a variety of shape and compositions and vary in size; and are classified as primary or secondary pollutant. The entire course will be summarized followed by class discussion.


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