VOLATILITY OF ELEMENTAL CARBON

A volatility technique whereby aerosol particles are heated to the rel atively high temperature of 860-degrees-C is used to infer the presenc e of elemental carbon in polluted air masses in the vicinity of the we st coast of Ireland. The volume of elemental carbon for submicrometre sized particles contained in the aerosol is estimated from the fall of f in number concentration at a critical onset temperature of about 730 -735-degrees-C, as also obtained for laboratory carbon ink aerosol. T he technique permits determination of the elemental carbon volume perc entage of the total fine aerosol volume, and an estimation of the, abu ndance of elemental carbon contained within the black carbon fraction of the atmospheric aerosol. Supplementary black carbon mass concentrat ion measurements were obtained using a thermal method and an aethalome ter absorption method. The work suggests that elemental carbon can be identified using the volatility technique and that it can yield size-s egregated information on the fraction of elemental carbon in atmospher ic aerosol.