Aerosols

Abstract

Aerosols in East Asia, in particular the chemical constituents of PM2.5 (particulate matter 2.5 μm or less in diameter), are described in this section. Aerosols are colloidal systems in which small (>100 μm in diameter) solid or liquid particulate matter is suspended in air. These small particles are themselves also called aerosols. PM2.5 and kosa (Asian yellow sand dust) are important aerosol constituents, and their chemical components; namely, elemental and organic carbon, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), metallic elements, and inorganic ionic species, are discussed. The long-range transport of the aerosol components is the major topic in this section. The chemical transformation of aerosol components was evaluated and source apportionment was performed on the basis of model simulations and statistical analyses.