LAUSR

Abstract. Highly oxygenated multifunctional compounds (HOM) play a key role in the growth of new particles during new particle formation (NPF) events, but their quantitative roles in different environments of the globe haven’t been well studied yet. In this study, the HOM concentrations and NPF events at a remote boreal forest site in Finland (SMEAR II) and a sub-urban site in the polluted eastern China (SORPES) were simulated with the MALTE-BOX model, and their roles in NPF at the two distinctly different environments are discussed. We found that sulfuric acid and HOM organonitrate concentrations in the gas phase are significantly higher but other HOM monomers and dimers from monoterpene oxidation are lower at SORPES compared to SMEAR II. The model can simulate the NPF events at SMEAR II with a good agreement but underestimate the growth of new particles at SORPES, indicating a dominant role of sulfuric acid and HOM originated from oxidation of aromatics in the polluted environment. This study highlight the needs of molecular-scale measurements in improving the understanding of NPF mechanisms in the polluted areas like eastern China.