Standardisation of Black Carbon aerosol metrics for air quality and climate modelling

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Research unit

SERI

Project number

23.00435

Project title

Standardisation of Black Carbon aerosol metrics for air quality and climate modelling

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Abstract (English)	Black carbon (BC) contributes to climate forcing and is an air pollutant impacting health. Equivalent Black Carbon (eBC) mass concentrations are typically measured in real time with light absorption photometers. Being very sensitive to changes in emissions, eBC mass concentration might be regulated in the future as a metric for soot-like combustion by-products. However, neither eBC mass nor the related aerosol light absorption measurements have been standardised, traceability is incomplete and uncertainties are poorly understood. This project will provide and establish new standards for aerosol light absorption coefficient and mass absorption cross-section, whose combination leads to eBC mass concentration. These metrics are not addressed in the EN16909 standard on Elemental Carbon (EC) mass concentration.

Category

Text

Abstract
(English)

Black carbon (BC) contributes to climate forcing and is an air pollutant impacting health. Equivalent Black Carbon (eBC) mass concentrations are typically measured in real time with light absorption photometers. Being very sensitive to changes in emissions, eBC mass concentration might be regulated in the future as a metric for soot-like combustion by-products. However, neither eBC mass nor the related aerosol light absorption measurements have been standardised, traceability is incomplete and uncertainties are poorly understood. This project will provide and establish new standards for aerosol light absorption coefficient and mass absorption cross-section, whose combination leads to eBC mass concentration. These metrics are not addressed in the EN16909 standard on Elemental Carbon (EC) mass concentration.