Investigation of Primary and Secondary Particulate Brown Carbon in Two Chinese Cities of Xi’an and Hong Kong in Wintertime

Brown carbon (BrC), an aerosol carbonaceous matter component, impacts atmospheric radiation and global climate because of its absorption in the near-ultraviolet–visible region. Simultaneous air sampling was conducted in two megacities of Xi’an (northern) and Hong Kong (southern) in China in winter of 2016–2017. The aim of this study is to determine and characterize the BrC compounds in collected filter samples. Characteristic absorption peaks corresponding to aromatic C–C stretching bands, organo-nitrates, and CO functional groups were seen in spectra of Xi’an samples, suggesting that the BrC was derived from freshly smoldering biomass and coal combustion as well as aqueous formation of anthropogenic secondary organic carbon. In Hong Kong, the light absorption of secondary BrC accounted for 76% of the total absorbances of BrC. The high abundance of strong CO groups, biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) and atmospheric oxidants suggest secondary BrC was likely formed from photochemical oxidation of BVOCs in Hong Kong. Several representative BrC molecular markers were detected using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry and their absorption properties were simulated by quantum chemistry. The results demonstrate that light absorption capacities of secondary anthropogenic BrC with nitro-functional groups were stronger than those of biogenic secondary BrC and anthropogenic primary BrC.