Aerosols have significant impacts on earth's climate and hydrological cycle. They can directly reflect the amount of incoming solar radiation into space; by acting as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), they can indirectly impact climate by affecting cloud albedo. Our current assessment of the interactions of aerosols and clouds is uncertain and parameters used to estimate cloud droplet formation in global climate models are not well constrained. Organic aerosols attribute much of the uncertainty in these estimates and are known to affect the ability of aerosol to form cloud droplets (CCN Activity) by i) providing solute, thus reducing the equilibrium water vapor pressure of the droplet and ii) acting as surfactants capable of depressing surface tension, and potentially, growth kinetics. My thesis dissertation investigates various organic aerosol species (e.g., marine, urban, biomass burning, Humic-like Substances). An emphasis is placed on the water soluble components and secondary organic aerosols (SOA). In addition the sampled organic aerosols are acquired via different media; directly from in-situ ambient studies (TEXAQS 2006) environmental chamber experiments, regenerated from filters, and cloud water samples. Novel experimental methods and analyses to determine surface tension, molar volumes, and droplet growth rates are presented from nominal volumes of sample. These key parameters for cloud droplet formation incorporated into climate models will constrain aerosol-cloud interactions and provide a more accurate assessment for climate prediction.

It is well known that atmospheric aerosols provide the sites for forming cloud droplets, and can affect the Earth's radiation budget through their interactions with clouds. The ability of aerosols to act as cloud condensation nuclei is a strong function of their chemical composition and size. The compositional complexity of aerosol prohibits their explicit treatment in atmospheric models of aerosol-cloud interactions. Nevertheless, the cumulative impact of organics on CCN activity is still required, as carbonaceous material can constitute up to 90% of the total aerosol, 10-70% of which is water soluble. Therefore it is necessary to characterize the water soluble organic carbon fraction by CCN activation, droplet growth kinetics, and surface tension measurements. In this thesis, we investigate the water soluble properties, such as surface tension, solubility, and molecular weight, of laboratory and ambient aerosols and their effect on CCN formation. A mechanism called Curvature Enhanced Solubility is proposed and shown to explain the apparent increased solubility of organics. A new method, called Köhler Theory Analysis, which is completely new, fast, and uses minimal amount of sample was developed to infer the molar volume (or molar mass) of organics. Due to the success of the technique in predicting the molar volume of laboratory samples, it was applied to aerosols collected in Mexico City. Additionally the surface tension, CCN activity, and droplet growth kinetics of these urban polluted aerosols were investigated. Studies performed for the water soluble components showed that the aerosols in Mexico City have surfactants present, can readily become CCN, and have growth similar to ammonium sulfate. Finally, aerosols from three different polluted sources, urban, bovine, and ship emissions, were collected and characterized. The data assembled was used to predict CCN concentrations and access our understanding of the system. From these analyses, it was evident that knowledge of the chemical composition and mixing state of the aerosol is necessary to achieve agreement between observations and predictions. The data obtained in this thesis can be introduced and used as constraints in aerosol-cloud interaction parameterizations developed for global climate models, which could lead to improvements in the indirect effect of aerosols.

Algal infestation in water bodies causes the release of soluble organic compounds that impact negatively on the taste and odour of the water. With increasing pollution in water bodies and increasing nutrient loading from agricultural activities, most water reservoirs in South Africa and around the world have become affected by this problem. In this study, an advanced oxidation process (AOP), namely, photocatalysis was evaluated for its potential to degrade aromatic compounds; and taste and odour causing bi-cyclic compounds originating from algae. Semiconductor photocatalysis is an environmentally friendly technology requiring no chemical inputs which is capable of completely mineralising organic pollutants to CO2 and H2O thereby eliminating production of unwanted by-products. Although processes involved in the photo-degradation have been reported for a wide range of pollutants, the degradative pathway in this process has not been fully established. In this study, compounds including phenol, 2-chlorophenol, 4-chlorophenol and nitrophenol were successfully eliminated from simulated wastewater. Degradation of geosmin at an environmentally significant initial concentration of 220 ng/L to levels below the lowest detectable concentration was achieved with an optimum catalyst concentration of 60 mg/L at a rate of 14.78 ng/L/min. Higher catalysts loading above 60 mg/L resulted in a decrease in degradation rates. An increase in initial geosmin concentration resulted in a decrease in rates. Ionic species commonly found in surface waters (HCO3 -, and SO4 2-) significantly reduced the efficiency of geosmin degradation. Degradation of geosmin produced acyclic intermediates from ring fission tentatively identified as 3,5-dimethylhex-1-ene, 2,4-dimethylpentan-3-one, 2-methylethylpropanoate and 2-heptanal. The results obtained indicate that the degradation of organic pollutants in aqueous solution is as a result of synergic action from hydroxyl radicals, positive holes and direct photolysis by UV radiation, though the predominant pathway of degradation is via hydroxyl radicals in solution. Major aromatic intermediates of phenol degradation include catechol, resorcinol and hydroquinone produced in the order catechol > resorcinol > hydroquinone. All three are produced within 2 minutes of photocatalytic reaction of phenol and remain in solution until all phenol is degraded in aerated systems. Production of resorcinol in non-aerated systems is transient, further supporting the hydroxyl radical dominant reaction pathway. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / gm2014 / Chemical Engineering / unrestricted