Historical records of total organic carbon (TOC), black carbon (BC), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were reconstructed in dated sediment cores from four nearby lakes in central Switzerland. In the sub-Alpine Lake Thun, located at 558 m a.s.l., the proximity to anthropogenic emission sources is reflected in higher input of BC and PAHs into sediments with fluxes only slightly decreas...

Europe is a densely populated region that is a significant global source of black carbon (BC) aerosol, but there is a lack of information regarding the physical properties and spatial/vertical distribution of rBC in the region. We present the first aircraft observations of sub-micron refractory BC (rBC) aerosol concentrations and physical properties measured by a single particle soot photometer...

The New York City (NYC) subway is the main mode of transport for over 5 million passengers on an average weekday. Therefore, airborne pollutants in the subway stations could have a significant impact on commuters and subway workers. This study looked at black carbon (BC) and particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations in selected subway stations in Manhattan. BC and PM2.5 levels were measured in ...

Laser-Induced Incandescence of Soot at High Pressures Sanaz Ghasemi Master of Applied Science Graduate Department of Aerospace Science and Engineering University of Toronto 2012 Measurements of soot emission properties are of interest in both fundamental research and combustion-based industries. Laser-induced incandescence of soot particles is a novel technique that allows unobtrusive measureme...

Several Mousterian sites in France have yielded large numbers of small black blocs. The usual interpretation is that these 'manganese oxides' were collected for their colouring properties and used in body decoration, potentially for symbolic expression. Neanderthals habitually used fire and if they needed black material for decoration, soot and charcoal were readily available, whereas obtaining...

[1] Black carbon (BC) aerosol loadings were measured during the High-performance Instrumented Airborne Platform for Environmental Research Pole-to-Pole Observations (HIPPO) campaign above the remote Pacific from 85°N to 67°S. Over 700 vertical profiles extending from near the surface to max ∼14 km altitude were obtained with a single-particle soot photometer between early 2009 and mid-2011. The...

In the present study, the heterogeneous conversion of nitrogen oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) was studied at atmospheric humidity levels on flame soot surfaces treated with gaseous nitric acid (HNO3). In addition, the heterogeneous reaction of HNO3 on soot was investigated at atmospheric humidity. For the treatment of soot by pure HNO3 only reversible uptake with a surface coverage of∼1–...

We have previously described the acute po toxicity in guinea pigs of soot from a transformer fire at the State Office Building in Binghamton, New York. The soot was determined to contain polychlorinated biphenyls, biphenylenes, dibenzodioxins, and dibenzofurans. The present study evaluates soot toxicity in guinea pigs receiving 0, 0.2, 1.9, 9.3, or 46.3 ppm soot in the feed for 90 days or 231.5...

[1] A Mt. Everest ice core spanning 1860–2000 AD and analyzed at high resolution for black carbon (BC) using a Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) demonstrates strong seasonality, with peak concentrations during the winter‐ spring, and low concentrations during the summer monsoon season. BC concentrations from 1975–2000 relative to 1860–1975 have increased approximately threefold, indicating ...