Mei Zheng
Senior Research
Scientist
Georgia Institute of
Technology,
Tel: 404-894-1633
(office), Fax: (404) 894-5638;
Email: mzheng@eas.gatech.edu

Education
Ph.D., Graduate School of Oceanography, University of
Rhode Island,
M.S., State
Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, CAS,
B.S., Sun Yat-sen University,
Research
Interests
Atmospheric Chemistry;
Measurement of Air Pollutants;
Source Apportionment of Atmospheric
Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5);
Organic and Inorganic Tracers of PM
Sources;
Formation, Transport, and Deposition
of Aerosols;
Receptor Modeling
(Chemical Mass Balance Modeling with Molecular Markers).
Member of
Air & Waste Management Association;
American Association of Aerosol Research.
Research
Projects
► Source Apportionment of PM2.5 from SEARCH network (as
Principal Investigator)
PM2.5 samples from the SEARCH
(the Southeastern Aerosol Research and Characterization) network from 1999
to 2005 are analyzed in our laboratory to understand the sources to primary
organic carbon in the Southeastern U.S using organic tracers and chemical mass
balance modeling. Samples were obtained from eight sites in four states: GA,
AL, MS, and FL (map of SEARCH sites). Daily PM2.5
samples from Jefferson St., Atlanta (the former Atlanta
Supersite), during July 2001 and January 2002 were collected and analyzed to
investigate the daily variation of sources during summer and winter. The source
apportionment study of primary carbon and PM2.5 at SEARCH sites will allow us
to understand the PM2.5 sources at rural and urban sites in the
► Carbonaceous Aerosol in the
Sources of carbonaceous aerosols
collected from three sites of
► Fine Particulate Analysis in Indian Cities (as Co-Principal
Investigator)
Fine particulate samples were obtained from five cities in
► Study of Air Quality
Impacts Resulting from Prescribed Burning on Military Facilities (as
Co-Principal Investigator)
The primary objectives of this study are to answer the
following questions: 1) the extent that prescribed burning at Fort Benning,
Columbus, GA, affects the local and regional air quality, 2) the composition
and concentration of gas and particle phase air pollutants, and 3). the
characteristics of air pollutants emitted at different burning conditions such
as flaming and smoldering phase. My group will focus on the analysis of the
particle phase organic compounds emitted from the prescribed burning. We use
Andersen High Volume Sampler to collect the fine particles, PM2.5, on the
quartz fiber filter, which will be extracted with solvents and the organic
compounds will be identified and quantified with GC/MS (Gas Chromatography/Mass
Spectrometry).
► PM2.5 sources in the
Source apportionment using organic tracers and CMB is
conducted with the PM2.5 samples collected from USEPA eastern speciation trend
network (STN) during summer and winter 2002. The samples were from the urban
and rural sites in 23 eastern states. In my lab, samples are extracted with
solvents, filtered, concentrated, derivatized, then injected into GC/MS (gas
chromatography/mass spectrometry) for organic compounds Identification and
quantification. The GC/MS used in our lab is HP
GC/MSD (6890 GC, 5973N) with autosampler.
(1)
Zheng, M., Kester, D.R., Wang, F.,
Shi, X., Guo., Z. (2008) Size distributions of organic and inorganic species in
(2)
Yan, B., Zheng, M., Hu, Y.,
Lee, S., Kim, H.K., and Russell, A.G. (2008) Organic composition of
carbonaceous aerosols in an aged prescribed fire plume, in review.
(3)
Ding, X., Zheng, M.*, Yu,
L., Zhang, X., Weber, R., Yan, B., Russell, A.G., Edgerton, E.S., and Wang, X.
(2008) Spatial and seasonal trends in biogenic secondary organic aerosol
tracers and water soluble organic carbon in the southeastern United States, Environmental Science and Technology,
in press.
(4)
Ke, L., Liu, W., Wang, Y., Russell, A.G., Edgerton, E.S., Zheng, M.* (2008) Comparison of PM2.5
source apportionment using molecular marker-based chemical mass balance and
positive matrix factorization, Science
of the Total Environment 394, 290-302 (pdf).
(5)
Lee, S., Kim, H.K., Yan, B., Cobb, C.E., Hennigan, C., Nichols, S.,
Chamber, M., Edgerton, E.S., Jansen, J.J., Hu, Y., Zheng, M., Weber, R., Russell, A.G. (2008) Diagnosis of aged
prescribed burning plumes hitting an urban area: Implications to air quality
modeling, Environmental Science and
Technology 42, 1438-1444 (pdf).
(6)
Ke, L., Ding, X., Tanner, R.L., Schauer, J.J., and Zheng, M.* (2007) Source contributions to carbonaceous aerosols in
the Tennessee Valley Region, Atmospheric
Environment 41, 8898-8923 (pdf).
(7)
Sheesley, R., Schauer, J.J., Zheng,
M., and Wang, B. (2007), Sensitivity of molecular marker-based CMB models
to biomass burning source profiles, Atmospheric
Environment 41, 9050-9063 (pdf).
(8)
Hagler, G.S.W., Bergin, M.H., Salmon, L.G., Yu, J.Z., Wan, E.C.H. Wan, Zheng, M., Zeng, L.M., Kiang, C.S.,
Zhang, Y.H., Schauer, J.J. (2007) Local and regional anthropogenic influence on
PM2.5 elements in
(9)
Guo, Z., Lin, T., Zhang, G., Zheng,
M., Hao, Y., and Fang, M. (2007) The sedimentary fluxes and sources of
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Yangtze River Estuary and adjacent area
for the past 150 years, Science of the
Total Environment 386, 33-41.
(10)
Chowdhury, Z., Zheng, M.,
Sheesley, R.J., Schauer, J.J., Cass, G.R., Russell, A.G. (2007) Detailed
speciation of ambient fine organic carbon particles and source apportionment of
PM2.5 in Indian cities, Journal of
Geophysical Research-Atmospheres 112, D15303, doi:10.1029/2007JD008386 (pdf).
(11)
Ding, X., Wang, X., Xie Z., Xiang C., Mai, B., Sun, L., Zheng, M., Sheng, G., and Fu, J. (2007)
Atmospheric hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) in the North Pacific Ocean and the
adjacent Arctic Region: Spatial patterns, chiral signatures, and sea-air
exchanges, Environmental Science and
Technology 41, 5204-5209 (pdf).
(12)
Bhave, P.V., Pouliot, G.A., and Zheng,
M. (2007) Diagnostic model evaluation for carbonaceous PM2.5 in the
southeastern
(13)
Weber, R., Sullivan, A.P., Peltier, R.E., Russell, A.G., Yan, B., Zheng, M., Gouw, J., Warneke, C.,
Brock, C., Holloway, J.S., Atlas, E.L., and Edgerton, E. (2007) A study of
secondary organic aerosol formation in the anthropogenic-influenced
Southeastern USA, Journal of
Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, 112, D13302, doi:10.1029/2007JD008408
(pdf).
(14)
Ding, X.,
Wang, X., Xie, Z., Xiang, C., Mai, B., Sun, L., Zheng, M., Sheng, G., Fu, J., and Poschl U. (2007) Atmospheric
polycyclic hydrocarbons observed over the North Pacific Ocean and the Arctic
Ocean: Spatial distribution and source identification, Atmospheric Environment 41, 2061-2072 (pdf).
(15)
Zheng, M., Guo, Z., Fang, M., and
Kester, D.R. (2007) The influence of Asian Monsoon on the organic and inorganic
properties of aerosols in
(16)
Zheng, M., Ke, L., Wang, F., Cass, G.R.,
Schauer, J.J., Edgerton, E.S., Russell, A.G. (2007) Source apportionment of
daily PM2.5 at Jefferson Street, Atlanta, GA during summer and winter, Journal of the Air & Waste Management
Association 57, 228-242 (pdf).
(17)
Song, Y., Xie, S., Zhang, Y., Zeng, L., Zheng, M., and Salmon, L. (2006) Source apportionment of PM2.5 in
Beijing using principal component analysis/absolute principal component scores
(PCA/APCS) and UNMIX, Science of the
Total Environment 372, 278-286 (pdf).
(18)
Seagrave,
J.C., McDonald, J.D., Bedrick, E., Edgerton, E.S., Gigliotti, A.P., Jansen, J.J., Ke, L., Naeher, L., Seilkop, S.K.,
Zheng M., and Mauderly, J.L.
(2006) Lung toxicity of
ambient particulate matter from southeastern US sites with different contributing
sources: Relationships between composition and effects, Environmental Health Perspectives 114, 1387-1393 (pdf).
(19)
Zheng, M., Hagler, G.S.W., Ke, L.,
Bergin, M.H., Wang, F., Louie, P.K.K., Salmon, L., Sin, D.W.M., Yu, J., and
Schauer, J.J. (2006) Composition and sources of carbonaceous aerosols at three
contrasting sites in Hong Kong, Journal
of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres 111, D20313, doi:10.1029/2006JD007074
(pdf).
(20)
Zheng, M., Ke, L., Edgerton, E.S.,
Schauer, J.J., Dong, M., and Russell, A.G. (2006) Spatial distribution of
carbonaceous aerosol in the southeastern
(21)
Hagler, G.S.W., Bergin, M.H., Salmon, L.G., Yu, J.Z., Wan, E.C.H., Zheng, M., Zeng, L.M., Kiang, C.S.,
Zhang, Y.H., and Schauer, J.J. (2006) Source areas and chemical composition of
fine particulate matter in the Pearl River Delta region of China, Atmospheric Environment 40,
3802-3815 (pdf).
(22)
Song, Y., Zhang, Y., Xie, S., Zeng, L., Zheng, M., Salmon, L.G., Shao, M., and Slanina S. (2006) Source
apportionment of PM2.5 in
(23)
Zheng, M., Guo, Z.G., Fang, M., Rahn,
K.A., and Kester, D.R. (2005) Dry and wet deposition of elements in
(24)
Zheng, M., Salmon, L.G., Schauer,
J.J., Zeng, L., Kiang, C.S., Zhang, Y., and Cass, G.R. (2005) Seasonal trends
in PM2.5 source contributions in
(25)
Guo, Z.G., To, K.L., Zheng, M.,
and Fang, M. (2004) An upwind/downwind comparative study of the solvent
extractable organic compounds in PM2.5 in
(26)
Zheng, M., Cass, G.R., Schauer, J.J.,
and Edgerton, E.S. (2002) Source apportionment of fine particle air pollutants
in the
(27)
Zheng, M., and Fang, M. (2000) The
Correlation of organic and inorganic species in atmospheric aerosols. Environmental Science and Technology
34, 2721-2726 (pdf).
(28)
Zheng, M., Fang, M., Wang, F., and
To, K.L. (2000) Characterization of the solvent extractable organic compounds
in PM2.5 aerosols. Atmospheric
Environment 34, 2691-2702 (pdf).
(29)
Zheng, M., and Fang, M. (2000)
Particle-associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the atmosphere of
(30)
Fang, M., Zheng, M., Wang,
F., Hsiao, W., Jaafar, A.B. and Tong, S.L. (1999) The solvent- extractable
organic compounds in the
(31)
Fang, M., Zheng, M., Wang,
F., Chim, K.S., and
(32)
Mohamed, S.S., Khalid, S.A., Ward, S.A., Wan, T.S.M., Tang, H.P.O., Zheng, M., Haynes, R.K., and Edwards,
G. (1999) Simultaneous determination of artemether and its major metabolite
dihydroartemisinin in plasma by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-selected ion
monitoring. Journal of Chromatography
B 731, 251-260 (pdf).
(33)
Zheng, M., Wan, T.S.M., Fang, M.,
and Wang, F. (1997) Characterization of the non-volatile organic compounds in
the aerosols in
(34)
Zheng, M. (1994) The composition,
evolution, and its paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental significance of organic
matter in recent sediments in
Presentations
(1)
Zheng, M., Wang, F., Hagler, G.S.W.,
Bergin, M., Salmon, L.G., Hou, X., Ke, L., Schauer, J.J., Zeng, L.M., and
Zhang, Y. (2008) Characteristics of organic aerosol in the Pearl River Delta.
The 2nd International Workshop on Mega-city and Regional Air Pollution,
(2)
Zheng, M., Yu, L., Schauer, J.J.,
and Edgerton, E.S. (2007) Application of carbon isotope, organic tracers, and
receptor modeling in PM2.5 source apportionment. The 10th International
Conference on Atmospheric Sciences and Application to Air Quality,
(3)
Zheng, M. (2007) Source
apportionment of particulate matter in
(4)
Yan, B., Zheng, M., Sullivan,
A., Weber, R., Lee, S., Cobb, C.E., Chandru S., Kim, H.K., Russell, A.G. (2007)
Roadside, near-road and regional detailed chemical composition and source
apportionment of PM2.5 at
(5)
Yan, B., Zheng, M., Sullivan,
A., Weber, R., Lee, S., Cobb, C.E., Chandru S., Kim, H.K., Russell, A.G. (2007)
Temporal and spatial variation of primary organic carbon sources and biogenic
SOA impacts. AAAR 26th Annual Conference,
(6)
Ding, X., Yu, L., Weber, R., Zheng,
M. (2007) Spatial and seasonal variations of secondary organic tracers in
the
(7)
Baek, J., Yan, B., Lee, S., Hu, Y., Zheng,
M., Russell, A.G. (2007) Reconciliation of an emission based model and a
source based model via source apportionment of PM2.5 - Part 1. Organic
molecular markers. AAAR 26th Annual Conference,
(8)
Baek, J., Lee, S., Yan, B., Zheng,
M., Russell, A.G. (2007) Reconciliation of an emission based model and a
source based model via source apportionment of PM2.5 - Part 2. Trace metals.
AAAR 26th Annual Conference,
(9)
Weber, R.J., Sullivan, A., Peltier, R., Hennigan, C., Yan, B., Zheng, M., Kaynak, B., Russell, A.G.,
DeGouw, J., Brock, C., Warneke, C., Holloway, J., Atlas, E., and Edgerton, E.
(2006) Investigating the formation of ambient secondary organic aerosol in the
Southeastern USA. The Southeastern Regional Meeting of the American Chemical
Society,
(10)
Zheng, M., Dong, M., Russell, A.G.,
Schauer, J.J., and Edgerton, E.S. (2006) Characterization of carbonaceous
aerosol in PM2.5 in the eastern
(11)
Weber, R., Sullivan, A., Peltier, R., Hennigan, C., Russell, A.G., Yan,
B., Zheng, M., Gouw, J., Warneke,
C., Holloway, J., Atlas, E., Edgerton, E. (2006) Secondary organic aerosol
formation in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. 7th International
Aerosol Conference,
(12)
Zheng, M., Ke, L., Edgerton, E.S.,
Schauer, J.J., Dong, M., and Russell, A.G. (2005) Source apportionment of fine
particulate matter in the southeastern US using organic tracers and a mass
balance receptor model. Invited talk, the First Georgia Air Policy Symposium,
(13)
Zheng, M., Wang, B., Ke, L.,
Schauer, J.J., Edgerton, E.S. (2005) Source contributions to organic carbon in
PM2.5 in urban and rural areas in the southeastern
(14)
Tanner, R.L., Zheng, M., Ke,
L., Schauer, J.J., McNichol A.P. (2005) Source contributions to the organic
aerosol fraction in the
(15)
Yan, B., Zheng, M., Russell,
A.G. (2005) Quantitative study of sensitivities and uncertainties of molecular
marker-based CMB modeling. 2005 AAAR Conference: Particulate Matter Supersite
Program & Related Studies,
(16)
Lee, S., Baumann, K., Zheng, M.,
Schauer, J.J., Sheesley, R.J., Clements, M. (2005) Air quality impacts of
prescribed burning in
(17)
Baumann, K., Unal, A., Lee, S., Zheng,
M. (2005) Case study of local accumulation of PM2.5 from prescribed burning
with consequences for attainment. 2005 AAAR Conference: Particulate Matter
Supersite Program & Related Studies,
(18)
Park, S., Russell, A.G., Ke, L., Zheng,
M. (2005) Source apportionment of PM2.5 using a three-dimensional air
quality model and a receptor model. 2005 AAAR Conference: Particulate Matter
Supersite Program & Related Studies,
(19)
Chowdhury, Z., Zheng, M.,
Salmon, L.G., Sheesley, R.J., Schauer, J.J., Cass, G.R., Russell, A.G. (2004) Source
apportionment and characterization of ambient fine particles in Delhi, Mumbai,
Kolkata, and Chandigarh. Better Air Quality Workshop,
(20)
Bhave, P.V., Pouliot, G.A., Zheng,
M. (2004) Source apportionment of primary carbonaceous aerosol using the
CMAQ model. P27th NATO ITM Conference,
(21)
Zheng, M., Ke, L., Park, S.,
Edgerton, E.S., Russell, A.G. (2004) Spatial and temporal variations of the
major sources of primary fine organic carbon and PM2.5 in the southeastern
(22)
Wang, B., Dong, M., Schauer, J.J., Zheng,
M. (2004) Evaluation of organic tracer analysis in aerosol. The 23th Annual
American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR) Conference in
(23)
Yan, B., Zheng, M., Russell,
A.G. (2004) Uncertainty analysis of chemical mass balance modeling using
organic tracers for PM2.5 source apportionment. The 23th Annual American
Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR) Conference in
(24)
Ke, L., Tanner, R.L., Schauer, J.J., Zheng, M. (2004) Source apportionment of fine particulate matter in
the Tennessee Valley Region. The 23th Annual American Association for Aerosol
Research (AAAR) Conference in
(25)
Zheng, M., Russell, A.G., Schauer, J.J.,
Dong, M., Edgerton, E.S., and Cass, G.R. (2004) Source apportionment of fine
organic carbon in the eastern
(26)
Edgerton, E.S., Jansen, J.J., Zheng,
M., Hartsell, B.E. (2004) Sources of carbon in PM2.5 based on 14C
and tracer analysis. The 8th International Conference on
Carbonaceous Particles in the Atmosphere,
(27)
Chowdhury, Z., Zheng, M.,
Cass, G.R., Russell, A.G., Sheesley, R.J., Schauer, J.J., Salmon, L.G. (2004)
Source apportionment and chemical characterization of the ambient fine particle
aerosol in
(28)
Zheng, M., Bergin, M., Schauer,
J.J., Willis, G.W., Salmon, L.G., Zhang, Y., Yu, J., Tang, X. (2004) Sources
and Characteristics of Organic Carbon and Fine Particulate Matter in
(29)
Fang, M., Feng, J.L., Lau, P.S., Guo, Z.G., Zheng, M. (2004) Kitchen Emissions in Atmospheric Aerosols. The 3rd
Asian Aerosol Conference,
(30)
Louie, P.K.K., Leung, G.S.P., Yeung, B.T.W., Sin, D.W.M., Bergin, M., Zheng, M., Yu, J., Lau, A.K.H., Watson,
J., Chow, J.C. (2004) A study of PM2.5 and Its Chemical Composition in
(31)
Bergin, M.H., Salmon, L.G., Willis, G.S., Yu, J., Zhang, Y., Zeng, L., Zheng, M., Tang, X., Schauer, J.J.,
Kiang, C.S. (2004) Measurement of PM2.5 Mass and Chemical Composition at
Several Locations in the
(32)
Zheng, M., Schauer, J.J., Russell,
A.G., Bergin, M.H., Cass, G.R. (2003) A Comparison of Organic Characteristics
and PM2.5 Sources Between Asian and the
(33)
Baumann, K., Lee, S., Zheng, M.,
Dookwah, V., Fu, W., Russell, A. (2003) Air Quality Impacts from Prescribed
Burning. The 22th Annual American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR)
Conference in
(34)
Zheng, M., Russell, A.G., Schauer,
J.J., Edgerton, E.S., Jansen, J.J. (2003) PM2.5 Source Apportionment in the
(35)
Zheng, M., Russell, A.G., Schauer,
J.J., Edgerton, E.S., Jansen, J.J. (2003) Characteristics of Daily Fine
Particulate Matter at Atlanta, GA. 2003 AAAR PM Meeting Particulate Matter:
Atmospheric Sciences, Exposure and the Fourth Colloquium on PM and Human
Health,
(36)
Edgerton, E.S., Zheng, M.,
Waid, C.J., Jansen, J.J., Hartsell, B.E. (2003) Source Allocation of Carbon in
PM2.5 Using C-14 and Tracer Information. 2003 AAAR PM Meeting Particulate
Matter: Atmospheric Sciences, Exposure and the Fourth Colloquium on PM and
Human Health,
(37)