Anthropogenic Emissions in Coastal India Strongly Influence New Particle Formation and Cloud Condensation Nuclei Activity.

ABSTRACT: Aerosols influence Earth's energy balance and hydrological cycle as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), yet uncertainties persist in how anthropogenic emissions alter their abundance and climate-relevant properties. Abrupt, large-scale reductions in human activities provided a natural experiment to quantify anthropogenic impact on aerosol-cloud-climate interactions in coastal India. Combining chemical and microphysical measurements under drastically reduced and subsequently reintroduced emission scenarios, we reveal that CCN concentrations increased by 80-250% postlockdown. This surge coincided with increased new particle formation (NPF) event frequency and enhanced particle growth rates. Postlockdown air masses shifted from marine to continental sources, revealing that anthropogenic organic

SUBMITTER: Singh A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12439333 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature