Reactive species formed upon interaction of water with fine particulate matter from remote forest and polluted urban air

Abstract. Interaction of water with fine particulate matter leads to the formation of reactive species (RS) that may influence the aging, properties, and health effects of atmospheric aerosols. In this study, we explore the RS yields of fine PM from remote forest (Hyytiälä, Finland) and polluted urban air (Mainz, Germany and Beijing, China) and relate these yields to different chemical constituents and reaction mechanisms. Ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry was used to characterize organic aerosol composition, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy with a spin-trapping technique was used to determine the concentrations •OH, O2•−, and carbon- or oxygen-centered organic radicals, and a fluorometric assay was used to quantify H2O2 concentration. The mass-specific yields of radicals were lower for sampling sites with higher concentration of ambient PM2.5 (particles with a diameter