Determination of aerosol extinction coefficient and mass extinction efficiency by DOAS with a flashlight source

With the method of differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS),average concentrations of aerosol particles along light path were measured with a flashlight source in Chiba area during the period of one month. The optical thickness at 550 nm is compared with the concentration of ground-measured suspended particulate matter (SPM). Good correlations are found between the DOAS and SPM data, leading to the determination of the aerosol mass extinction efficiency (MEE) to be possible in the lower troposphere. The average MEE value is about 7.6m²\cdotg^-1, and the parameter exhibits a good correlation with the particle size as determined from the wavelength dependence of the DOAS signal intensity.