Estimating aerosol light scattering at the Fresno Supersite

Aerosol light scattering (Bsp) was estimated from particle size and chemical measurements during the winter intensive period (15 December 2000–3 February 2001) at the Fresno Supersite as part of the California Regional PM10/PM2.5 Air Quality Study (CRPAQS). Bsp was underestimated by 41–46% from scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) and optical particle counter (OPC) particle size distributions depending on assumptions about refractive index and hygroscopic growth. Bsp was underestimated by 35% using the Interagency Monitoring of PROtected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) light extinction equation and by 25% using chemical size distributions measured with micro orifice uniform deposit impactor (MOUDI) cascade impactors and a Desert Research Institute (DRI) PM2.5 sequential filter sampler (SFS). Underestimation of Bsp in Fresno was related to differences in the temperature and relative humidity (RH) at which various measurements were made. Evaporation of ammonium nitrate in the heated environment in which the SMPS and OPC instruments were located caused a reduction in particle size and number concentration. The MOUDI was operated outdoors at ambient temperature and RH, while a smart-heater equipped Radiance nephelometer was operated at RH <72%. Comparing estimated and measured Bsp required adjusting the SMPS, OPC, and MOUDI size distributions to the nephelometer RH. A systematic low-bias in estimated scattering suggests that organic aerosols may have contributed to hygroscopic growth. Consistent measurement strategies are needed to properly estimate aerosol light extinction under conditions such as those found in Fresno during winter.