Size distributions of non-volatile particle residuals (D_<i>p</i><800 nm) at a rural site in Germany and relation to air mass origin

International audienceAtmospheric aerosol particle size distributions at a continental background site in Eastern Germany were examined for a one-year period. Particles were classified using a twin differential mobility particle sizer in a size range between 3 and 800 nm. As a novelty, every second measurement of this experiment involved the removal of volatile chemical compounds in a thermodenuder at 300°C. This concept allowed to quantify the number size distribution of non-volatile particle cores ? primarily associated with elemental carbon, and to compare this to the original ambient size distribution. A general result was that practically every ambient particle in continental background air contained a non-volatile core. The volume fraction of non-volatile particulate matter (ambient Dp200 nm) contained more non-volatile compounds than smaller particles (