Low-NO-like Oxidation Pathway Makes a Significant Contribution to Secondary Organic Aerosol in Polluted Urban Air

Anthropogenic pollutants can greatly mediate formation pathways and chemical compositions of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in urban atmospheres. We investigated the molecular tracers for different types of SOA in PM2.5 under varying NO/NO2 conditions in Guangzhou using source analysis of particle-phase speciated organics obtained from an iodide chemical ionization mass spectrometer with a Filter Inlet for Gases and AEROsols (FIGAERO-I-CIMS). Results show that low-NO-like pathways (when NO/NO2 < 0.2) explained ∼75% of the total measured FIGAERO-OA during regional transport periods, which was enriched in more-oxidized C4–C6 non-nitrogenous compounds over ozone accumulation. Daytime high-NO chemistry played larger roles (38%) in local pollution episodes, with organic nitrates (ONs) and nitrophenols increasing with enhanced aerosol water content and nitrate fraction. Nighttime NO3-initiated oxidation, characterized by monoterpene-derived ONs, accounted for comparable percentages (10–12%) of FIGAERO-OA for both two periods. Furthermore, the presence of organosulfates (OSs) improves the understanding of the roles of aqueous-phase processes in SOA production. Carbonyl-derived OSs exhibited a preferential formation under conditions of high aerosol acidity and/or abundant sulfate, which correlated well with low-NO-like SOA. Our results demonstrate the importance of NO/NO2 ratios in controlling SOA compositions, as well as interactions between water content, aerosol acidity, and inorganic salts in gas-to-particle partitioning of condensable organics.