Research Area

• Aqueous phase atmospheric chemistry
• Developing analytical methods for atmospheric applications
• Kinetic modeling of multi-phase atmospheric reactions
• Measurements of concentrations of individual chemical components in ambient and source aerosols
• Sources and sinks of important aerosol constituents
• Secondary organic aerosol formation chemistry

Recent Publications

• Large presence of bromine and toxic metals in ambient fine particles from urban fires. Li, T., Chen, H. Z., Fung, J. C. H., Chan, D. H. L., Yu, A. L. C., Leung, K. K.M., Yu, J. Z.* Atmospheric Environment, 2023, 295, 119554. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2022.119554 
• Chemical evolution of secondary organic aerosol tracers during high PM2.5 episodes at a suburban site in Hong Kong over 4 months of continuous measurement. Wang, Q. Q., Wang, S., Cheng, Y. Y., Chen, H. Z., Zhang, Z.J., Li, J.J., Gu, D.S., Wang, Z., Yu, J. Z.* Atmos. Chem. Phys., 2022, 22, 11239–11253. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-11239-2022
• Measurement Report: Ten-year trend of PM2.5 major components and source tracers from 2008 to 2017 in an urban site of Hong Kong, China. Chow, W.S., Liao, K., Huang, X. H. H., Leung, K. F., Lau, A. K. H., and Yu, J. Z.* Atmos. Chem. Phys., 2022, 22, 11557–11577. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-11557-2022
• Hourly Organic Tracers-based Source Apportionment of PM2.5 before and during the Covid-19 lockdown in Suburban Shanghai, China: Insights into Regional Transport Influences and Response to Urban Emission Reductions. Wang, S., Wang, Q. Q., Zhu, S.H., Zhou; M., Qiao, L. P., Huang; D. D., Ma; Y. G., Lu, Y. Q; Huang, C., Fu, Q. Y., Duan, Y. S., Yu, J. Z.* Atmos. Environ., 2022, 15, 119308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2022.119308
• Measurement report: Characterization and source apportionment of coarse particulate matter in Hong Kong: Insights into the constituents of unidentified mass and source origins in a coastal city in southern China. Wong, Y. K.*, Liu, K. M., Yeung, M., Leung, K. K. M., Yu, J. Z.* Atmos. Chem. Phys., 2022, 5017–5031. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-5017-2022
• Molecular and elemental marker-based source apportionment of fine particulate matter at six sites in Hong Kong, China. Chow, W.S. Huang, X.H.H., Leung, K.F., Huang, L., Wu, X.R., Yu, J.Z.* Sci. Tot. Environ. 2022, 813,152652. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152652
• Online Measurement of Aerosol Inorganic and Organic Nitrogen Based on Thermal Evolution and Chemiluminescent Detection. Li, J.J., Yu, X., Li, Q. F., Wang, S., Cheng, Y.Y., Yu, J. Z.* Atmos. Environ. 2022, 271,118905. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2021.118905
• Abundance of organosulfates derived from biogenic volatile organic compounds: Seasonal and spatial contrasts at four sites in China. Wang, Y.C., Ma, Y.G., Kuang, B. Y., Lin, P., Liang, Y. M., Hung, C., Yu, J. Z.* Sci. Tot. Environ. 2022, 806, 151275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151275
• An interfacial role for NO2. Wang, Q.Q., Yu, J. Z.* Nature Chemistry. 2021, 13, 1158–1160. http://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-021-00845-5
• Ambient Measurements of Heterogeneous Ozone Oxidation Rates of Oleic, Elaidic, and Linoleic Acid using a Relative Rate Constant Approach in an Urban Environment. Wang, Q.Q., Yu, J. Z.* Geophys. Res. Lett. 2021, e2021GL095130. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL095130
• Estimating Primary Vehicular Emission Contributions to PM2.5 Using the Chemical Mass Balance Model: Accounting for Gas-Particle Partitioning of Organic Aerosols and Oxidation Degradation of Hopanes. Wong, Y.K., Huang, X.H. H., Cheng, Y.Y., Yu, J.Z.* Envr. Poll. 2021, 291,118131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118131
• Simultaneous determination of aerosol inorganic and organic nitrogen by thermal evolution and chemiluminescent detection. Yu,X., Li, Q. F., Ge, Y., Li, Y.M., Liao, K. Z., Huang, X. H. H., Li, J.J., Yu, J. Z.* Environ. Sci. Technol. 2021, 55, 11579-11589. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c04876
• Chemical Synthesis of Multifunctional Air Pollutants: Terpene-Derived Nitrooxy Organosulfates. Wang, Y.C., Tong, R.B.*, Yu, J. Z.* Environ. Sci. Technol. 2021,55, 8573-8582.
• Impacts of Chemical Degradation on the Global Budget of Atmospheric Levoglucosan and Its Use as a Biomass Burning. Li, Y., Fu, T. M.*, Yu, J. Z.*, Feng, X., Zhang, L., Chen, J., Boreddy, S.K.R, Kawamura, K., Fu, P.Q., Yang, X., Zhu, L. Zeng, Z.Z. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2021, 55, 5525-5536. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.0c07313
• Fabric Masks as a Personal Dosimeter for Quantifying Exposure to Airborne Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons. Chan. W.*, Jin, L., Sun, Z.H., Griffith, S. M.*, Yu, J. Z.* Environ. Sci. Technol. 2021, 55, 5128-5135. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.0c08327
• Tracer-based Characterization of Source Variations of PM2.5 and Organic Carbon in Shanghai Influenced by the COVID-19 Lockdown. Zhu, S.H., Wang, Q.Q., Qiao, L. P., Zhou, M., Wang S., Lou, S.R., Huang, D.D., Wang, Q., Jing, S.G., Wang, H. L., Chen, C.H., Huang, C.*, Yu, J. Z.* Faraday Diss. 2021, 226, 112 – 137
• Hourly measurements of organic molecular markers in urban Shanghai, China: Primary organic aerosol source identification and observation of cooking aerosol aging. Wang, Q.Q., He, X., Zhou, M., Huang, D.D., Qiao, L.P., Zhu, S.H., Ma, Y.G., Wang, H.L., Li, L., Huang, C*., Huang, X.H.H., Xu, W., Worsnop, D.R., Goldstein, A.H., Guo, H., Yu, J. Z.* ACS J. Earth Space Chem., 2020, 4, 1670-1685. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.0c00205
• Tracking Separate Contributions of Diesel and Gasoline Vehicles to Roadside PM2.5 Through Online Monitoring of Volatile Organic Compounds, PM2.5 Organic and Elemental Carbon: A Six-Year Study in Hong Kong. Wong, Y. K., Huang, X. H. H., Louie, P. K. K., Yu, A. L. C., Chan, D. H. L., and Yu, J. Z.* Atmos. Chem. Phys., 2020, 20, 9871–9882. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-9871-2020
• Assessment of Interactions between Transition Metals and Atmospheric Organics: Ascorbic Acid Depletion and Hydroxyl Radical Formation in Organic-Metal Mixtures. Lin, M.F., Yu, J. Z.* Environ. Sci. Technol., 2020, 54, 1431-1442. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b07478
• Hourly measurements of organic molecular markers in urban Shanghai, China: Observation of enhanced formation of secondary organic aerosol during particulate matter episodic periods. He, X.,Wang, Q.Q., Huang, X.H.H., Huang, D.D., Zhou, M., Qiao, L.P., Zhu, S.H., Ma, Y.G., Wang, H.L., Li, L., Huang, C*., Xu, W., Worsnop, D.R., Goldstein, A.H., Yu, J.Z.* Atmos. Environ., 2020, 240, 117807. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b07478
• Efficient control of atmospheric sulfate production based on three formation regimes. Xue, J., Yu, X., Yuan, Z. B., Griffith, S. M., Lau, A. K. H., Seinfeld, J. H.*, Yu, J. Z.* Nature Geosci. 2019, 12, 977-982.
• Monoterpene and sesquiterpene α-hydroxy organosulfates: Synthesis, MS/MS characteristics, and ambient presence. Wang, Y.C, Ma, Y. G., Li, X. J., Kuang, B. Y., Huang, C., Tong, R. B.*, Yu, J. Z.* Environ. Sci. Technol. 2019, 53, 12278-12290
• Effect of metal-organic interactions on the oxidative potential of mixtures of atmospheric humic-like substances and copper/manganese as investigated by the dithiothreitol assay. Lin, M. F., Yu, J. Z.* Sci. Tot. Environ. 2019, 697, 134012.
• Characterization of Aerosol Aging Potentials at Suburban Sites in Northern and Southern China Utilizing a Potential Aerosol Mass (Go:PAM) Reactor and Aerosol Mass Spectrometer. Li, J.J., liu, Q. Y.,Li, Y. J.*, Liu, T. Y., Huang D. D., Zheng, J., Zhu, W. F., Hu, M., Wu, Y. S., Lou, S. R., Hallquist, A. M., Hallquist, M., Chan, C. K., Canonaco, F., Prévôt, A. S. H., Fung, J. C. H., Lau, A. K. H., Yu, J. Z*, J. Geophys. Res. Atmosphere, 2019, 124 (10), 5629-5649.
• Incorporating hopane degradation into chemical mass balance model: Improving accuracy of vehicular source contribution estimation. Wong, Y. K., Huang, X. H. H., Yu, J. Z.*, Atmos. Environ.,2019, 210, 211-219.
• Estimating Contributions of Vehicular Emissions to PM2.5 in a Roadside Environment: A Multiple Approach Study. Wong, Y. K., Huang, X. H. H, Cheng, Y. Y., Louie, P. K. K., Yu, A. L. C., Tang, A.W.Y., Chan, D. H. L., Yu, J. Z.*, Sci. Tot. Environ. 2019, 672, 776-788.
• Source apportionment of fine particulate matter in Macao, China with and without organic tracers: A comparative study using positive matrix factorization. Wang, Q.Q., Huang, X.H.H., Tam, F.C.V., Zhang, X.X., Liu, K.M., Yeung, C., Feng, Y.M., Cheng, Y.Y., Wong, Y.K., Ng, W.M., Wu, C., Zhang, Q.Y., Zhang, T., Lau, N. T., Yuan, Z.B., Lau, A. K. H., Yu, J. Z.*, Atmos. Environ.,2019, 198, 183-193.
• The Secondary Formation of Organosulfates under the Interactions between Biogenic Emissions and Anthropogenic Pollutants in Summer of Beijing. Yujue Wang, Min Hu, Song Guo, Yuchen Wang, Jing Zheng, Yudong Yang, Wenfei Zhu, Rongzhi Tang, Xiao Li, Ying Liu, Michael Le Breton, Zhuofei Du, Dongjie Shang, Yusheng Wu, Zhijun Wu, Yu Song, Shengrong Lou, Mattias Hallquist, Yu, J. Z.*, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 2018, 18, 10693-10713.
• Aromatic formulas in ambient PM2.5 samples from Hong Kong determined using FT-ICR ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry. Kuang, Bin-Yu., Yeung, Hoi Sze, Lee, Chi-Chung, Griffith, S.G., Yu, J. Z.*, Anal. Bioanaly. Chem, 2018, 410, 6289-6304.
• Abundance and sources of phthalic acids, benzene tricarboxylic acids and phenolic acids in PM2.5 at urban and suburban sites in Southern China. He, X., Huang, X.H.H., Chow, K.S.. Zhang, T. Wu, D., Yu, J. Z.*, ACS Earth & Space Chem., 2018, 2, 147-158.
• Impact of Secondary Organic Aerosol Tracers on Tracer-based Source Apportionment of Organic Carbon and PM2.5: A Case Study in the Pearl River Delta, China, Wang, Q.Q., Xiao, H., Huang, X.H.H., Griffith, S.M., Feng, Y.M., Zhang, T., Zhang, Q. Y., Wu, D., Yu, J. Z.*, ACS Earth Space Chem., 2017, 1, 562-571.
• Size distributions of hydrophilic and hydrophobic fractions of water-soluble organic carbon in an urban atmosphere in Hong Kong. Wang, N.J. and Yu, J.Z.*, Atmospheric Environment, 2017, 166, 110-119.
• Synthesis of Four Monoterpene-derived Organosulfates and their Quantification in Atmospheric Aerosol Samples. Wang, Y.C., Ren, J.Y, Huang, X.H.H., Tong, R.B.*, and Yu, J.Z.*, Environmental Science & Technology. 2017, 51 (12), 6791–6801. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b01179.
• Quantifying the relationship between visibility degradation and PM2.5 constituents at a suburban site in Hong Kong: Differentiating contributions from hydrophilic and hydrophobic organic compounds, Li, Y.G., Huang, X. H.H., Griffith, G. M., Wu, C., Lau, A. K.H., Yu, J. Z. *, Sci. Tot. Environ., 2017, 575, 1571-1581.
• Nonpolar organic compounds as PM2.5 source tracers: Investigation of their sources and degradation in the Pearl River Delta, China, Wang, Q.Q., Feng, Y. M., Huang, X.H.H., Griffith, G. M., Zhang, T., Zhang, Q. Y., Wu, D., Yu, J. Z.*, J. Geophys. Res. Atmos. 2016, 121, 11,862 -11,879, doi:10.1002/2016JD025315.
• Molecular composition of urban organic aerosols on clear and hazy days in Beijing: A comparative study using FT-ICR MS, Jiang, B., Kuang, B.Y., Liang, Y.M.*, Zhang, J. Y., Huang, X. H. H., Xu, C. M., Yu, J. Z.*, Shi, Q.*, Environ. Chem., 2016. 13, 888-901.
• Inter-comparison of NIOSH and IMPROVE protocols for OC and EC determination: Implications for inter-protocol data conversion, Wu, C., Huang, X. H. H., Ng,W. M., Griffith, S. M., Yu, J. Z.*, Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 2016, 9, 4547-4560. doi:10.5194/amt-2016-116.
• Sulfate formation enhanced by a cocktail of high NOx, SO2, particulate matter and droplet pH during haze-fog events in megacities in China: An Observation-Based Modeling investigation Xue, J., Yuan, Z., Griffith, S. M.,; Yu, X., Lau, A. K. H., Yu, J. Z., Environ. Sci. Technol., 2016, 50, 7325-7334. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b00768. 
• Determination of primary combustion source organic carbon-to-elemental carbon (OC/EC) ratio using ambient OC and EC measurements: secondary OC-EC correlation minimization method Wu, C., Yu, J. Z.* Atmos. Chem. Phys., 2016, 16, 5453–5465.
• Aerosol size distribution characteristics of organosulfates in the Pearl River Delta region, China, Kuang,B. Y., Lin, P., Hu, M.*, Yu, J. Z.*, Atmos. Environ., 2016, 130, 23-35.
• Reactive Oxygen Species Production Mediated by Humic-like Substances in Atmospheric Aerosols: Enhancement Effects by Pyridine, Imidazole, and Their Derivatives Dou, J., Lin, P., Kuang, B. Y., Yu, J. Z.*, Environ. Sci. Technol. , 2015, 49, 6457-6456.
• Characterizing the thermodynamic and chemical composition factors controlling PM2.5 nitrate: Insights gained from two years of online measurements in Hong Kong., Griffith, S. M., X. H. H. Huang, P. K. K. Louie, J. Z. Yu*, Atmos. Environ., 2015, 122, 864-875.
• Sources of humic-like substances in the Pearl River Delta, China: Positive matrix factorization analysis of PM2.5 major components and source markers, Kuang, B. Y., Lin, P., Huang, X. H. H., Yu, J. Z*., , Atmos. Chem. Phys., 2015, 15, 1995-2008.