Possible sources of two size-resolved water-soluble organic carbon fractions at a roadway site during fall season

The size distribution of WSOCHPI showed a dominant mode at 0.55 μm, while the WSOCHPO had dominant modes at both 0.17-0.32 μm and 0.55 μm. On the basis of the size distribution characteristics, it was found that the formation pathways of both WSOCHPI and WSOCHPO were dependent on the particle size; in the condensation mode (0.17-0.32 μm), both the WSOCHPI and WSOCHPO could be produced through atmospheric processes similar to those of SO42− and oxalate, which were derived from the gas-phase oxidations of organic compounds. In the droplet mode (0.55-1.8 μm), the cloud processing of both the organic compounds and biomass burning emissions could be a major pathway for the WSOCHPI formation. However, the droplet mode WSOCHPO was likely produced through cloud processing and heterogeneous reactions or aerosol-phase reactions. In the coarse mode (>3.1 μm), the WSOCHPI formation was more likely associated with soil-related particles (Ca(NO3)2 and CaSO4) than with sea-salt particles (NaNO3 and Na2SO4).