Atmospheric PM 2.5 thermal elemental carbon (EC), optical black carbon (BC), brown
carbon (BrC), and mineral dust (MD) were characterized during a field campaign at a
regionally representative site (Bhopal, central India) all year-long during 2019. In this study,
the optical characteristics of PM 2.5 during 'EC-rich','OC-rich', and 'MD-rich'days were used
in a three-component model to estimate site-specific Absorption Ångström exponent (AAE)
and absorption coefficient (b abs) of light-absorbing PM 2.5 constituents. The AAE for 'EC …

Thermal elemental carbon (EC), optical black carbon (BC), organic carbon (OC), mineral
dust (MD), and 7-wavelength optical attenuation of 24-hour ambient PM 2.5 samples were
measured/estimated at a regionally representative site (Bhopal, central India) during a
business-as-usual year (2019) and the COVID-19 lockdowns year (2020). This dataset was
used to estimate the influence of emissions source reductions on the optical properties of
light-absorbing aerosols. During the lockdown period, the concentration of EC, OC, BC 880 …