A worldwide aerosol phenomenology: Elemental and organic carbon in PM2.5 and PM10

Jean Philippe Putaud; Fabrizia Cavalli; Karl Espen Yttri; Judith C. Chow; John G. Watson; Baerbel Sinha; Chandra Venkataraman; Fumikazu Ikemori; Jean Luc Jaffrezo; Gaelle Uzu; Isabel Moreno; Radovan Krejci; Paolo Laj; Tarun Gupta; Min Hu; Sang Woo Kim; Olga Mayol-Bracero; Patricia Quinn; Wenche Aas; Andres Alastuey; Marcos Andrade; Monica Angelucci; Gupta Anurag; J. Paul Beukes; Ankur Bhardwaj; Abhijit Chatterjee; Pooja Chaudhary; Anil Kumar Chhangani; Sébastien Conil; Anna Degorska; Sandeep Devaliya; Abisheg Dhandapani; Sandeep Singh Duhan; Umesh Chandra Dumka; Gazala Habib; Zahra Hamzavi; Diksha Haswani; Hartmut Herrmann; Adela Holubova; Christoph Hueglin; Mohd Imran; Arshid Jehangir; Taveen Singh Kapoor; Angeliki Karanasiou; Ravindra Khaiwal; Jeongeun Kim; Tanja Kolesa; Joanna Kozakiewicz; Irena Kranjc; Jitender Singh Laura; Yang Lian; Junwen Liu; Pooja Manwani; Valeria Mardoñez-Balderrama; Béatrice Marticorena; Atsushi Matsuki; Suman Mor; Sauryadeep Mukherjee; Sadashiva Murthy; Akila Muthalagu; Tanveer Ahmad Najar; Radhakrishnan Naresh Kumar; Govindan Pandithurai; Noemi Perez; Worradorn Phairuang; Harish C. Phuleria; Laurent Poulain; Laxmi Prasad; Delwin Pullokaran; Adnan Mateen Qadri; Asif Qureshi; Omar Ramírez; Sayantee Roy; Julian Rüdiger; Binoy K. Saikia; Prasenjit Saikia; Stéphane Sauvage; Chrysanthos Savvides; Renuka Sharma; Tanbir Singh; Gyanesh Kumar Singh; Ronald Spoor; Atul Kumar Srivastava; Ramya Sunder Raman; Pieter G. Van Zyl; Marco Vecchiocattivi; Céline Voiron; Jinyuan Xin; Kajal Yadav

doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121338

A worldwide aerosol phenomenology: Elemental and organic carbon in PM_2.5 and PM₁₀

Jean Philippe Putaud
, Fabrizia Cavalli
, Karl Espen Yttri
, Judith C. Chow
, John G. Watson
, Baerbel Sinha
, Chandra Venkataraman
, Fumikazu Ikemori
, Jean Luc Jaffrezo
, Gaelle Uzu
, Isabel Moreno
, Radovan Krejci
, Paolo Laj
, Tarun Gupta
, Min Hu
, Sang Woo Kim
, Olga Mayol-Bracero
, Patricia Quinn
, Wenche Aas
, Andres Alastuey

Marcos Andrade, Monica Angelucci, Gupta Anurag, J. Paul Beukes, Ankur Bhardwaj, Abhijit Chatterjee, Pooja Chaudhary, Anil Kumar Chhangani, Sébastien Conil, Anna Degorska, Sandeep Devaliya, Abisheg Dhandapani, Sandeep Singh Duhan, Umesh Chandra Dumka, Gazala Habib, Zahra Hamzavi, Diksha Haswani, Hartmut Herrmann, Adela Holubova, Christoph Hueglin, Mohd Imran, Arshid Jehangir, Taveen Singh Kapoor, Angeliki Karanasiou, Ravindra Khaiwal, Jeongeun Kim, Tanja Kolesa, Joanna Kozakiewicz, Irena Kranjc, Jitender Singh Laura, Yang Lian, Junwen Liu, Pooja Manwani, Valeria Mardoñez-Balderrama, Béatrice Marticorena, Atsushi Matsuki, Suman Mor, Sauryadeep Mukherjee, Sadashiva Murthy, Akila Muthalagu, Tanveer Ahmad Najar, Radhakrishnan Naresh Kumar, Govindan Pandithurai, Noemi Perez, Worradorn Phairuang, Harish C. Phuleria, Laurent Poulain, Laxmi Prasad, Delwin Pullokaran, Adnan Mateen Qadri, Asif Qureshi, Omar Ramírez, Sayantee Roy, Julian Rüdiger, Binoy K. Saikia, Prasenjit Saikia, Stéphane Sauvage, Chrysanthos Savvides, Renuka Sharma, Tanbir Singh, Gyanesh Kumar Singh, Ronald Spoor, Atul Kumar Srivastava, Ramya Sunder Raman, Pieter G. Van Zyl, Marco Vecchiocattivi, Céline Voiron, Jinyuan Xin, Kajal Yadav

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), and particulate matter (PM) concentrations in the inhalable (PM₁₀) and fine (PM_2.5) size fractions are measured worldwide, albeit with different analytical methods. These measurements from many researchers were collected and analyzed for Africa, America, Asia, and Europe for 2012–2019. EC/PM, OC/PM, and OC/EC ratios were examined based on region, site type, and season to infer potential sources and impacts. These analyses demonstrate that carbonaceous materials are important PM constituents throughout the world. Mean EC/PM ratios were lowest in PM₁₀ in Sahelian Africa and Europe (∼0.01), highest (>0.07) in PM_2.5 at urban sites in North America, South America, and Japan. Mean OC/PM ratios were lowest in PM₁₀ in the Sahel (∼0.06) and in PM_2.5 in China and Thailand (0.10), and highest in central and eastern Europe (∼0.3) and North America (∼0.4). OC/EC ratios were elevated in western and northern Europe, and at regional background sites in North America. EC/PM increased with PM₁₀ in Thailand, while OC/PM increased with higher PM mass in Thailand, India, and North America, highlighting the specific contribution of carbonaceous aerosols to PM pollution in these regions. At European and North American background sites, OC/EC ratios increased with PM mass. Higher OC/EC ratios in dry periods indicate influence of wildfires, prescribed burns, and secondary aerosol formation. Elevated wintertime EC/PM ratios coincide with residential heating in temperate climate zones.

Original language	English
Article number	121338
Journal	Atmospheric Environment
Volume	358
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121338
State	Published - 1 Oct 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Authors

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 13 Climate Action

Access to Document

10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121338

Cite this

Putaud, J. P., Cavalli, F., Yttri, K. E., Chow, J. C., Watson, J. G., Sinha, B., Venkataraman, C., Ikemori, F., Jaffrezo, J. L., Uzu, G., Moreno, I., Krejci, R., Laj, P., Gupta, T., Hu, M., Kim, S. W., Mayol-Bracero, O., Quinn, P., Aas, W., ... Yadav, K. (2025). A worldwide aerosol phenomenology: Elemental and organic carbon in PM_2.5 and PM₁₀. Atmospheric Environment, 358, Article 121338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121338

@article{61c9d45fd0a743b892e0e5abdcd93bdc,

title = "A worldwide aerosol phenomenology: Elemental and organic carbon in PM2.5 and PM10",

abstract = "Elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), and particulate matter (PM) concentrations in the inhalable (PM10) and fine (PM2.5) size fractions are measured worldwide, albeit with different analytical methods. These measurements from many researchers were collected and analyzed for Africa, America, Asia, and Europe for 2012{\textendash}2019. EC/PM, OC/PM, and OC/EC ratios were examined based on region, site type, and season to infer potential sources and impacts. These analyses demonstrate that carbonaceous materials are important PM constituents throughout the world. Mean EC/PM ratios were lowest in PM10 in Sahelian Africa and Europe (∼0.01), highest (>0.07) in PM2.5 at urban sites in North America, South America, and Japan. Mean OC/PM ratios were lowest in PM10 in the Sahel (∼0.06) and in PM2.5 in China and Thailand (0.10), and highest in central and eastern Europe (∼0.3) and North America (∼0.4). OC/EC ratios were elevated in western and northern Europe, and at regional background sites in North America. EC/PM increased with PM10 in Thailand, while OC/PM increased with higher PM mass in Thailand, India, and North America, highlighting the specific contribution of carbonaceous aerosols to PM pollution in these regions. At European and North American background sites, OC/EC ratios increased with PM mass. Higher OC/EC ratios in dry periods indicate influence of wildfires, prescribed burns, and secondary aerosol formation. Elevated wintertime EC/PM ratios coincide with residential heating in temperate climate zones.",

author = "Putaud, \{Jean Philippe\} and Fabrizia Cavalli and Yttri, \{Karl Espen\} and Chow, \{Judith C.\} and Watson, \{John G.\} and Baerbel Sinha and Chandra Venkataraman and Fumikazu Ikemori and Jaffrezo, \{Jean Luc\} and Gaelle Uzu and Isabel Moreno and Radovan Krejci and Paolo Laj and Tarun Gupta and Min Hu and Kim, \{Sang Woo\} and Olga Mayol-Bracero and Patricia Quinn and Wenche Aas and Andres Alastuey and Marcos Andrade and Monica Angelucci and Gupta Anurag and Beukes, \{J. Paul\} and Ankur Bhardwaj and Abhijit Chatterjee and Pooja Chaudhary and Chhangani, \{Anil Kumar\} and S{\'e}bastien Conil and Anna Degorska and Sandeep Devaliya and Abisheg Dhandapani and Duhan, \{Sandeep Singh\} and \{Chandra Dumka\}, Umesh and Gazala Habib and Zahra Hamzavi and Diksha Haswani and Hartmut Herrmann and Adela Holubova and Christoph Hueglin and Mohd Imran and Arshid Jehangir and Kapoor, \{Taveen Singh\} and Angeliki Karanasiou and Ravindra Khaiwal and Jeongeun Kim and Tanja Kolesa and Joanna Kozakiewicz and Irena Kranjc and Laura, \{Jitender Singh\} and Yang Lian and Junwen Liu and Pooja Manwani and Valeria Mardo{\~n}ez-Balderrama and B{\'e}atrice Marticorena and Atsushi Matsuki and Suman Mor and Sauryadeep Mukherjee and Sadashiva Murthy and Akila Muthalagu and Najar, \{Tanveer Ahmad\} and Kumar, \{Radhakrishnan Naresh\} and Govindan Pandithurai and Noemi Perez and Worradorn Phairuang and Phuleria, \{Harish C.\} and Laurent Poulain and Laxmi Prasad and Delwin Pullokaran and Qadri, \{Adnan Mateen\} and Asif Qureshi and Omar Ram{\'i}rez and Sayantee Roy and Julian R{\"u}diger and Saikia, \{Binoy K.\} and Prasenjit Saikia and St{\'e}phane Sauvage and Chrysanthos Savvides and Renuka Sharma and Tanbir Singh and Singh, \{Gyanesh Kumar\} and Ronald Spoor and Srivastava, \{Atul Kumar\} and Raman, \{Ramya Sunder\} and \{Van Zyl\}, \{Pieter G.\} and Marco Vecchiocattivi and C{\'e}line Voiron and Jinyuan Xin and Kajal Yadav",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 The Authors",

year = "2025",

month = oct,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121338",

language = "Ingl{\'e}s",

volume = "358",

journal = "Atmospheric Environment",

issn = "1352-2310",

publisher = "Elsevier Ltd.",

}

Putaud, JP, Cavalli, F, Yttri, KE, Chow, JC, Watson, JG, Sinha, B, Venkataraman, C, Ikemori, F, Jaffrezo, JL, Uzu, G, Moreno, I, Krejci, R, Laj, P, Gupta, T, Hu, M, Kim, SW, Mayol-Bracero, O, Quinn, P, Aas, W, Alastuey, A, Andrade, M, Angelucci, M, Anurag, G, Beukes, JP, Bhardwaj, A, Chatterjee, A, Chaudhary, P, Chhangani, AK, Conil, S, Degorska, A, Devaliya, S, Dhandapani, A, Duhan, SS, Chandra Dumka, U, Habib, G, Hamzavi, Z, Haswani, D, Herrmann, H, Holubova, A, Hueglin, C, Imran, M, Jehangir, A, Kapoor, TS, Karanasiou, A, Khaiwal, R, Kim, J, Kolesa, T, Kozakiewicz, J, Kranjc, I, Laura, JS, Lian, Y, Liu, J, Manwani, P, Mardoñez-Balderrama, V, Marticorena, B, Matsuki, A, Mor, S, Mukherjee, S, Murthy, S, Muthalagu, A, Najar, TA, Kumar, RN, Pandithurai, G, Perez, N, Phairuang, W, Phuleria, HC, Poulain, L, Prasad, L, Pullokaran, D, Qadri, AM, Qureshi, A, Ramírez, O, Roy, S, Rüdiger, J, Saikia, BK, Saikia, P, Sauvage, S, Savvides, C, Sharma, R, Singh, T, Singh, GK, Spoor, R, Srivastava, AK, Raman, RS, Van Zyl, PG, Vecchiocattivi, M, Voiron, C, Xin, J & Yadav, K 2025, 'A worldwide aerosol phenomenology: Elemental and organic carbon in PM_2.5 and PM₁₀', Atmospheric Environment, vol. 358, 121338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121338

TY - JOUR

T1 - A worldwide aerosol phenomenology

T2 - Elemental and organic carbon in PM2.5 and PM10

AU - Putaud, Jean Philippe

AU - Cavalli, Fabrizia

AU - Yttri, Karl Espen

AU - Chow, Judith C.

AU - Watson, John G.

AU - Sinha, Baerbel

AU - Venkataraman, Chandra

AU - Ikemori, Fumikazu

AU - Jaffrezo, Jean Luc

AU - Uzu, Gaelle

AU - Moreno, Isabel

AU - Krejci, Radovan

AU - Laj, Paolo

AU - Gupta, Tarun

AU - Hu, Min

AU - Kim, Sang Woo

AU - Mayol-Bracero, Olga

AU - Quinn, Patricia

AU - Aas, Wenche

AU - Alastuey, Andres

AU - Andrade, Marcos

AU - Angelucci, Monica

AU - Anurag, Gupta

AU - Beukes, J. Paul

AU - Bhardwaj, Ankur

AU - Chatterjee, Abhijit

AU - Chaudhary, Pooja

AU - Chhangani, Anil Kumar

AU - Conil, Sébastien

AU - Degorska, Anna

AU - Devaliya, Sandeep

AU - Dhandapani, Abisheg

AU - Duhan, Sandeep Singh

AU - Chandra Dumka, Umesh

AU - Habib, Gazala

AU - Hamzavi, Zahra

AU - Haswani, Diksha

AU - Herrmann, Hartmut

AU - Holubova, Adela

AU - Hueglin, Christoph

AU - Imran, Mohd

AU - Jehangir, Arshid

AU - Kapoor, Taveen Singh

AU - Karanasiou, Angeliki

AU - Khaiwal, Ravindra

AU - Kim, Jeongeun

AU - Kolesa, Tanja

AU - Kozakiewicz, Joanna

AU - Kranjc, Irena

AU - Laura, Jitender Singh

AU - Lian, Yang

AU - Liu, Junwen

AU - Manwani, Pooja

AU - Mardoñez-Balderrama, Valeria

AU - Marticorena, Béatrice

AU - Matsuki, Atsushi

AU - Mor, Suman

AU - Mukherjee, Sauryadeep

AU - Murthy, Sadashiva

AU - Muthalagu, Akila

AU - Najar, Tanveer Ahmad

AU - Kumar, Radhakrishnan Naresh

AU - Pandithurai, Govindan

AU - Perez, Noemi

AU - Phairuang, Worradorn

AU - Phuleria, Harish C.

AU - Poulain, Laurent

AU - Prasad, Laxmi

AU - Pullokaran, Delwin

AU - Qadri, Adnan Mateen

AU - Qureshi, Asif

AU - Ramírez, Omar

AU - Roy, Sayantee

AU - Rüdiger, Julian

AU - Saikia, Binoy K.

AU - Saikia, Prasenjit

AU - Sauvage, Stéphane

AU - Savvides, Chrysanthos

AU - Sharma, Renuka

AU - Singh, Tanbir

AU - Singh, Gyanesh Kumar

AU - Spoor, Ronald

AU - Srivastava, Atul Kumar

AU - Raman, Ramya Sunder

AU - Van Zyl, Pieter G.

AU - Vecchiocattivi, Marco

AU - Voiron, Céline

AU - Xin, Jinyuan

AU - Yadav, Kajal

PY - 2025/10/1

Y1 - 2025/10/1

N2 - Elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), and particulate matter (PM) concentrations in the inhalable (PM10) and fine (PM2.5) size fractions are measured worldwide, albeit with different analytical methods. These measurements from many researchers were collected and analyzed for Africa, America, Asia, and Europe for 2012–2019. EC/PM, OC/PM, and OC/EC ratios were examined based on region, site type, and season to infer potential sources and impacts. These analyses demonstrate that carbonaceous materials are important PM constituents throughout the world. Mean EC/PM ratios were lowest in PM10 in Sahelian Africa and Europe (∼0.01), highest (>0.07) in PM2.5 at urban sites in North America, South America, and Japan. Mean OC/PM ratios were lowest in PM10 in the Sahel (∼0.06) and in PM2.5 in China and Thailand (0.10), and highest in central and eastern Europe (∼0.3) and North America (∼0.4). OC/EC ratios were elevated in western and northern Europe, and at regional background sites in North America. EC/PM increased with PM10 in Thailand, while OC/PM increased with higher PM mass in Thailand, India, and North America, highlighting the specific contribution of carbonaceous aerosols to PM pollution in these regions. At European and North American background sites, OC/EC ratios increased with PM mass. Higher OC/EC ratios in dry periods indicate influence of wildfires, prescribed burns, and secondary aerosol formation. Elevated wintertime EC/PM ratios coincide with residential heating in temperate climate zones.

AB - Elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), and particulate matter (PM) concentrations in the inhalable (PM10) and fine (PM2.5) size fractions are measured worldwide, albeit with different analytical methods. These measurements from many researchers were collected and analyzed for Africa, America, Asia, and Europe for 2012–2019. EC/PM, OC/PM, and OC/EC ratios were examined based on region, site type, and season to infer potential sources and impacts. These analyses demonstrate that carbonaceous materials are important PM constituents throughout the world. Mean EC/PM ratios were lowest in PM10 in Sahelian Africa and Europe (∼0.01), highest (>0.07) in PM2.5 at urban sites in North America, South America, and Japan. Mean OC/PM ratios were lowest in PM10 in the Sahel (∼0.06) and in PM2.5 in China and Thailand (0.10), and highest in central and eastern Europe (∼0.3) and North America (∼0.4). OC/EC ratios were elevated in western and northern Europe, and at regional background sites in North America. EC/PM increased with PM10 in Thailand, while OC/PM increased with higher PM mass in Thailand, India, and North America, highlighting the specific contribution of carbonaceous aerosols to PM pollution in these regions. At European and North American background sites, OC/EC ratios increased with PM mass. Higher OC/EC ratios in dry periods indicate influence of wildfires, prescribed burns, and secondary aerosol formation. Elevated wintertime EC/PM ratios coincide with residential heating in temperate climate zones.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105008898204

U2 - 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121338

DO - 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121338

M3 - Artículo

AN - SCOPUS:105008898204

SN - 1352-2310

VL - 358

JO - Atmospheric Environment

JF - Atmospheric Environment

M1 - 121338

ER -