Spatiotemporal variation and trends in equivalent black carbon in the Helsinki metropolitan area in Finland

• Main Authors: K. Luoma, J. V. Niemi, M. Aurela, P. L. Fung, A. Helin, T. Hussein, L. Kangas, A. Kousa, T. Rönkkö, H. Timonen, A. Virkkula, T. Petäjä
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2021-01-01
• Series: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
• Online Access: https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/21/1173/2021/acp-21-1173-2021.pdf

<p>In this study, we present results from 12 years of black carbon (BC) measurements at 14 sites around the Helsinki metropolitan area (HMA) and at one background site outside the HMA. The main local sources of BC in the HMA are traffic and residential wood combustion in fireplaces and sauna stoves. All BC measurements were conducted optically, and therefore we refer to the measured BC as equivalent BC (eBC). Measurement stations were located in different environments that represented traffic environment, detached housing area, urban background, and regional background. The measurements of eBC were conducted from 2007 through 2018; however, the times and the lengths of the time series varied at each site. The largest annual mean eBC concentrations were measured at the traffic sites (from 0.67 to 2.64 <span class="inline-formula">µ</span>g m<span class="inline-formula">⁻³</span>) and the lowest at the regional background sites (from 0.16 to 0.48 <span class="inline-formula">µ</span>g m<span class="inline-formula">⁻³</span>). The annual mean eBC concentrations at the detached housing and urban background sites varied from 0.64 to 0.80 <span class="inline-formula">µ</span>g m<span class="inline-formula">⁻³</span> and from 0.42 to 0.68 <span class="inline-formula">µ</span>g m<span class="inline-formula">⁻³</span>, respectively. The clearest seasonal variation was observed at the detached housing sites where residential wood combustion increased the eBC concentrations during the cold season. Diurnal variation in eBC concentration in different urban environments depended clearly on the local sources that were traffic and residential wood combustion. The dependency was not as clear for the typically measured air quality parameters, which were here NO<span class="inline-formula">_<i>x</i></span> concentration and mass concentration of particles smaller that 2.5 <span class="inline-formula">µ</span>m in diameter (PM<span class="inline-formula">_2.5</span>). At four sites which had at least a 4-year-long time series available, the eBC concentrations had statistically significant decreasing trends that varied from <span class="inline-formula">−</span>10.4 % yr<span class="inline-formula">⁻¹</span> to <span class="inline-formula">−</span>5.9 % yr<span class="inline-formula">⁻¹</span>. Compared to trends determined at urban and regional background sites, the absolute trends decreased fastest at traffic sites, especially during the morning rush hour. Relative long-term trends in eBC and NO<span class="inline-formula">_<i>x</i></span> were similar, and their concentrations decreased more rapidly than that of PM<span class="inline-formula">_2.5</span>. The results indicated that especially emissions from traffic have decreased in the HMA during the last decade. This shows that air pollution control, new emission standards, and a newer fleet of vehicles had an effect on air quality.</p>