Field observations of aerosol physical and chemical properties in the Netherlands

Aerosol research is essential due to their significant roles in atmospheric chemistry, climate dynamics, and public health impacts. This PhD thesis investigates the physical and chemical characteristics of aerosols in the Netherlands, focusing on their chemical composition, size distribution, and optical properties. This study initiated with the 2021 Ruisdael Intensive Trace-gas and Aerosol (RITA) campaign, employing a comprehensive suite of instruments for both online and offline measurements to evaluate local aerosol composition and concentrations, with a primary goal of validating the advanced time-of-flight aerosol chemical species monitor (TOF-ACSM) for routine PM2.5 monitoring. Leveraging well-calibrated in situ aerosol data, the research analyzed the vertical distribution of aerosol optical properties and conducted comparative assessments with lidar retrieved profiles, proposing a method for predicting the lidar ratio based on in situ measurements. This approach offers a practical tool for validating lidar data and bridging the gap between in situ and lidar remote sensing, with potential applications in extending aerosol optical depth calculations and facilitating long-term monitoring of aerosol optical properties. Finally, the study expanded to long-term aerosol observations, highlighting different sources of aerosol particles by size, with a particular emphasis on the significant contribution of local traffic emissions to ultrafine particles. In summary, the findings provide region-specific insights with broader implications for understanding aerosol dynamics in similar atmospheric environments.