Abating HCl and HNO3 is more effective than NH3 for mitigating high
aerosol loading over the Indo-Gangetic Plain
Abstract
This study investigates aerosol “sensitivity regimes” to explore the
effectiveness of abating gaseous precursors to mitigate aerosols over
the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). A new mechanistic insight is proposed by
integrating ISORROPIA-II thermodynamical model with high-resolution
simultaneous measurements of precursor gases (HCl, HNO3,
and NH3) and inorganic constituents of
PM1 and PM2.5, monitored for the first
time in India using MARGA-2S instrument. The estimated aerosol acidity
(pH) of PM1 and PM2.5
was 4.49±0.53 and 4.58±0.48, respectively. The sensitivity of
phase-partitioning (ε) of Cl-,
NO3-, and
NH4+ to pH, ALWC, HCl,
HNO3, and NH3 showed that fine aerosols
fall in the ”HCl and HNO3 sensitive regime”, emphasizing
that HCl and HNO3 reductions would be the most effective
pathway to reduce aerosols in NH3-rich IGP. Since
existing mitigation strategies over IGP are random and ineffective, this
novel insight is the first step in providing a thermodynamically
consistent “roadmap” to mitigate aerosols effectively.