image: Summary of aerosol optical properties measurement techniques.
Credit: ©Science China Press
This study is led by PhD student Zhang Yurong and Dr. Han Yong (Prof.) from the School of Atmospheric Sciences at Sun Yat-sen University. The researchers have reviewed the development trends of direct measurement technologies for aerosol optical properties and chemical compositions over the past 20 years, summarized the advantages, disadvantages, and application limitations of various technologies in laboratory research and field observations, and proposed future directions for technological improvement and instrument development.
Specifically, the variation of aerosol optical properties with relative humidity is crucial for the accurate calculation of climate forcing effects. Currently, integrated humidification systems, open-path optical systems, and broadband spectral technologies have demonstrated significant application value. In the future, it is necessary to further develop innovative measurement principles and technical schemes to construct a comprehensive measurement system for atmospheric optical parameters.
In the field of chemical composition measurement, mass spectrometry technology has achieved remarkable results, but the quantitative analysis of the chemical characteristics of particles in the 3–10 nm size range remains a key technical bottleneck to be broken through. Existing indirect technologies can only provide qualitative information and have two major limitations: they fail to cover the full particle size range from atmospheric molecular clusters to micron-sized particles, and lack the capability for comprehensive measurement of multiple components such as inorganic substances, organic matter, metal oxides, and black carbon. It is suggested to develop innovative instruments to improve the collection efficiency and particle size resolution range of direct measurement technologies, enhance the chemical resolution capability of indirect measurement techniques, and conduct comparative verification studies between different technologies (especially direct and indirect ones) in overlapping particle size intervals, so as to comprehensively and accurately analyze the chemical composition of aerosols.
In addition, ground-based and space-based remote sensing technologies, along with climate models, have been extensively utilized in environmental monitoring and climate prediction. When combined with high-precision in-situ observations, these techniques are essential for analyzing aerosol properties, elucidating crucial atmospheric processes, and tracing pollution sources. This paper will provide a valuable reference for the development of high-tech equipment for aerosol measurement. Notably, the sister paper with this study, a review on direct measurement techniques for the physical properties of aerosols, has been published in Atmospheric Environment (Volume 344, 2025).
See the article:
Zhang Y, Han Y. 2025. Direct measurement techniques for atmospheric aerosol: Optical and chemical properties review. Science China Earth Sciences, 68(11): 3454–3481
Journal
Science China Earth Sciences