Urban Atmospheric Chemistry During the PUMA Campaign 1: Comparison of Modelled OH and HO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Concentrations with Measurements

Photochemical box modelling was undertaken to investigate OH and HO₂ radical chemistry during summer and winter field campaigns in the urban city-centre of Birmingham in the UK. The model employed the most recent version of the Master Chemical Mechanism (v3.1) and was constrained to 15-minute average measurements of long-lived species determined in situ at the site. The model was used to predict OH and HO₂ concentrations for comparison with measurements made by the fluorescence assay by gas expansion technique. Whilst there was generally good agreement between the modelled and measured OH concentrations, particularly during summer, there was sometimes a significant model under-prediction during daylight hours, which significantly skews the overall model: measured agreement. There were less measured data available for HO₂, but the agreement between model and measurement for the days where measurements existed were less good than for OH, with one or two exceptions. The modelled:measured ratios between the hours of 11:00–15:00 h for OH were 0.58 and 0.50 for summer and winter respectively. For HO₂, the same ratios were 0.56 in the summer and 0.49 in the winter. Sensitivity studies were conducted to attempt to understand the model-measurement discrepancy. The predicted radical concentrations were particularly sensitive to changes in NO_X concentrations. Constraining the model to the observed HO₂ concentrations made the OH predictions worse. These results highlight the fact that there are many complexities in urban areas and that more highly-instrumented campaigns are required in the future to further our understanding.     

A method for the selective measurement of HO<Subscript>2</Subscript> and RO<Subscript>2</Subscript> radical concentrations using a Nafion-PERCA system

An instrument is developed for the measurement of peroxy radical using chemical amplification coupled with NO₂-luminol chemiluminescence detection. The chain length of 147 ± 10 (1σ) is determined by an HO₂ source that uses the photolysis of water vapor under 184.9 nm in air. A Nafion system equipped with a Nafion tube of ~2.2 mm external diameter and 350 mm length is employed in the PERCA instrument (Nafion-PERCA system). When flowing an air sample containing HO₂ through the Nafion system, it is found that - 94.6 % of HO₂ is removed. In contrast, only 17.8 % of RO₂ radicals (a mixtures of CH₃O₂ and CH₃C(O)O₂ with a ratio of 1.1:0.9) are removed. The results indicate the Nafion system has a good selective removing performance of HO₂ radical during the PERCA measurement. Therefore, the method could be applied to ambient and laboratory measurements of absolute concentrations of RO₂ as well as the sum of HO₂ and RO₂.     

Impacts of uncertainty in AVOC emissions on the summer ROx budget and ozone production rate in the three most rapidly-developing economic growth regions of China

High levels of uncertainty in non-methane volatile organic compound （NMVOC） emissions in China could lead to significant variation in the budget of the sum of hydroxyl （OH） and peroxy （HO2,RO2） radicals （ROx =OH ＋ HO2 ＋ RO2） and the ozone production rate [P（O3）],but few studies have investigated this possibility,particularly with three-dimensional air quality models.We added diagnostic variables into the WRF-Chem model to assess the impact of the uncertainty in anthropogenic NMVOC （AVOC） emissions on the ROx budget and P（O3） in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region,Yangtze River Delta,and Pearl River Delta of China.The WRF-Chem simulations were compared with satellite and ground observations,and previous observation-based model studies.Results indicated that 68％ increases （decreases） in AVOC emissions produced 4％-280％ increases （2％-80％ decreases） in the concentrations of OH,HO2,and RO2 in the three regions,and resulted in 35％-48％ enhancements （26％-39％ reductions） in the primary ROx production and ～ 65％ decreases （68％-73％ increases） of the P（O3） in Beijing,Shanghai,and Guangzhou.For the three cities,the two largest contributors to the ROx production rate were the reaction of O1D ＋ H2O and photolysis of HCHO,ALD2,and others; the reaction of OH ＋ NO2 （71％-85％） was the major ROx sink; and the major contributor to P（O3） was the reaction of HO2 ＋ NO （～ 65％）.Our results showed that AVOC emissions in 2006 from Zhang et al.（2009） have been underestimated by ～ 68％ in suburban areas and by ＞ 68％ in urban areas,implying that daily and hourly concentrations of secondary organic aerosols and inorganic aerosols could be substantially underestimated,and cloud condensation nuclei could be underestimated,whereas local and regional radiation was overestimated.     

Hydroxyl and Peroxy Radical Chemistry in a Rural Area of Central Pennsylvania: Observations and Model Comparisons

Atmospheric hydroxyl (OH), hydroperoxy (HO₂), total peroxy (HO₂ and organic peroxy radicals, RO₂) mixing ratios and OH reactivity (first order OH loss rate) were measured at a rural site in central Pennsylvania during May and June 2002. OH and HO₂ mixing ratios were measured with laser induced fluorescence (LIF); HO₂ + RO₂ mixing ratios were measured with chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS). The daytime maximum mixing ratios were up to 0.6 parts per trillion by volume (pptv) for OH, 30 pptv for HO₂, and 45 pptv for HO₂ + RO₂. A parameterized RACM (Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism) box model was used to predict steady state OH, HO₂ and HO₂ + RO₂ concentrations by constraining the model to the measured OH reactivity and previously measured volatile organic compound (VOC) distributions. The averaged model calculations are generally in good agreement with the observations. For OH, the model matched the observations for day and night, with an average observed-to-modeled ratio of 0.80. In previous studies such as PROPHET98, nighttime NO was near 0 pptv and observed nighttime OH was significantly larger than modeled OH. In this study, nighttime observed and modeled OH agree to within measurement and model uncertainties because the main source of the nighttime OH was the reaction HO₂ + NO → OH + NO₂, with the NO being continually emitted from the surrounding fertilized corn field. The observed-to-modeled ratio for HO₂ is 1.0 on average, although daytime HO₂ is underpredicted by a factor of 1.2 and nighttime HO₂ is over-predicted by a factor of ∼2. The average measured and modeled HO₂ + RO₂ agree well during daytime, but the modeled value is about twice the measured value during nighttime. While measured HO₂ + RO₂ values agree with modeled values for NO mixing ratios less than a few parts per billion by volume (ppbv), it increases substantially above the expected value for NO greater than a few ppbv. This observation of the higher-than-expected HO₂ + RO₂ with the CIMS technique confirms the observed increase of HO₂ above expected values at higher NO mixing ratios in HO₂ measurements with the LIF technique. The maximum instantaneous O₃ production rate calculated from HO₂ and RO₂ reactions with NO was as high as 10–15 ppb h⁻¹ at midday; the total daily O₃ production varied from 13 to 113 ppbv d⁻¹ and was 48 ppbv d⁻¹ on average during this campaign.     

Interference Testing for Atmospheric HOx Measurements by Laser-induced Fluorescence

Accurate OH and HO₂ (collectively called HO_x) measurements by laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) may be contaminated by spurious signals from interfering atmospheric chemicals or from the instrument itself. Interference tests must be conducted to ensure that observed OH signal originates solely from ambient OH and is not due to instrument artifacts. Several tests were performed on the Penn State LIF HO_x instrument, both in the laboratory and in the field. Theseincluded measurements of the instrument's zero signal by using either zero air or perfluoropropylene to remove OH, examination of spectral interferences from naphthalene, sulfur dioxide, and formaldehyde, and tests of interferences by addition of suspected interfering atmospheric chemicals, including ozone, hydrogen peroxide, nitrous acid, formaldehyde, nitric acid, acetone, and organic peroxy radicals (RO₂). All tests lacked evidence ofsignificant interferences for measurements in the atmosphere, including highly polluted urban environments.     

The Heterogeneous Reaction of NO<Subscript>2</Subscript> with NH<Subscript>4</Subscript>Cl: A Molecular Diffusion Tube Study

The heterogeneous interaction of nitrogen dioxide with ammonium chloride was investigated in a molecular diffusion tube experiment at 295–335 K and interpreted using Monte Carlo trajectory calculations. The surface residence time (τ_surf) of NO₂ on NH₄Cl is equal to 15 μs at 295 K, increases with temperature up to 323 K (τ_surf = 45 μs) and probably decreases beyond 323 K. The same experiment also yields uptake coefficients, γ, which are derived from the absolute number of surviving molecules effusing out of the diffusion tube. The rate of uptake of NO₂ on NH₄Cl followed a rate law first order in [NO₂] and the uptake coefficient γ is equal to 7 × 10⁻⁵ at 295 K, increases with temperature up to 323 K (γ = 2.1 × 10⁻⁴) and probably decreases beyond 323 K. Nitrous acid, water and nitrogen were detected as products. From these products, it is concluded that the reaction of NO₂ with NH₄Cl is a reverse disproportionation reaction where two moles of NO₂ result in ammonium nitrite, NH₄NO₂, as an intermediate, and nitryl chloride, NO₂Cl. NH₄NO₂ decomposes in two pathways, one to nitrous acid, HONO and NH₃, the other to nitrogen and water. The branching ratio for the production of HONO + NH₃ to that of N₂ + H₂O is approximately 20 at 298 K and increases with increasing temperature.     

Analysis of chemical characteristics of PM<Subscript>2.5</Subscript> in Beijing over a 1-year period

Beijing is one of the largest and most densely populated cities in China. PM_2.5 (fine particulates with aerodynamic diameters less than 2.5 μm) pollution has been a serious problem in Beijing in recent years. To study the temporal and spatial variations in the chemical components of PM_2.5 and to discuss the formation mechanisms of secondary particles, SO₂, NO₂, PM_2.5, and chemical components of PM_2.5 were measured at four sites in Beijing, Dingling (DL), Chegongzhuang (CG), Fangshan (FS), and Yufa (YF), over four seasons from 2012 to 2013. Fifteen chemical components, including organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), K⁺, NH₄ ⁺, NO₃ ^?, SO₄ ^2?, Cl^?, Al, Ca, Fe, Mg, Na, Pb, Si, and Zn, were selected for analysis. Overall, OC, SO₄ ^2?, NO₃ ^?, and NH₄ ⁺ were dominant among 15 components, the annual average concentrations of which were 22.62 ± 21.86, 19.39 ± 21.06, 18.89 ± 19.82, and 13.20 ± 12.80 μg·m^?3, respectively. Compared with previous studies, the concentrations of NH₄ ⁺ were significantly higher in this study. In winter, the average concentrations of OC and EC were, respectively, 3 and 2.5 times higher than in summer, a result of coal combustion during winter. The average OC/EC ratios over the four sites were 4.9, 7.0, 8.1, and 8.4 in spring, summer, autumn, and winter, respectively. The annual average [NO₃ ^?]/[SO₄ ^2?] ratios in DL, CG, FS, and YF were 1.01, 1.25, 1.08, and 1.12, respectively, which were significantly higher than previous studies in Beijing, indicating that the contribution ratio of mobile source increased in recent years in Beijing. Analysis of correlations between temperature and relative humidity and between SOR ([SO₄ ^2?]/([SO₄ ^2?] + [SO₂])) and NOR ([NO₃ ^?]/([NO₃ ^?] + [NO₂])) indicated that gas-phase oxidation reactions were the major formation mechanism of SO₄ ^2? in spring and summer in urban Beijing, whereas slow gas-phase oxidation reactions and heterogeneous reactions both occurred in autumn and winter. NO₃ ^? was mainly formed through year-round heterogeneous reactions in urban Beijing.     

Comparison of two gas-phase chemical kinetic mechanisms of ozone formation over Europe

Two recent gas-phase chemical kinetic mechanisms for tropospheric ozone formation, one based on the lumped-structure approach (CB05) and the other based on the lumped-molecule approach (RACM2), are compared for simulations of ozone over Europe. The host air quality model is POLAIR3D of the Polyphemus modeling platform. A one-month period (15 July to 15 August 2001) is simulated. Model performance is satisfactory with both mechanisms. Overall, the two mechanisms give similar results with a domain-averaged difference of 3 ppb and a mean fractional absolute difference of 5% (values averaged over the month for the daily 8-h average maximum ozone concentrations). This difference results from different treatments in the two mechanisms for both inorganic and organic chemistry. Differences in the treatment of the inorganic chemistry are due mainly to differences in the kinetics of two reactions: NO + O₃ \(\longrightarrow\) NO₂ + O₂ and NO + HO₂ \(\longrightarrow\) NO₂ + OH. These differences lead to a domain-averaged difference in ozone concentration of 5%, with RACM2 kinetics being more conducive to ozone formation. Differences in the treatment of organic chemistry lead to a domain-averaged difference in ozone concentration of 3%, with CB05 chemistry being more conducive to ozone formation. This average difference results in part from compensating effects among various VOC classes and some significant differences are identified at specific locations (the coastline of northern Africa and eastern Europe: 9%) and for specific organic classes (aldehydes, biogenic alkenes and aromatics). Differences in the treatment of the organic chemistry result from various aspects. For some VOC classes, such as aldehydes and biogenic alkenes, the more detailed explicit treatments using more model species in RACM2 lead to either greater or lower reactivity depending on the assumptions made for the oxidation products. For other VOC species, such as aromatics, the assumptions made about the major chemical oxidation pathways (aromatic alcohol formation in CB05 vs. ring opening in RACM2) affect the ozone formation significantly. Reconciliation of different chemical kinetic mechanisms will require experimental data to reduce current uncertainties in the kinetic (e.g., NO oxidation) and mechanistic (e.g., aromatics oxidation) representations of major chemical pathways.     

Uptake of nitrogen dioxide (NO<Subscript>2</Subscript>) on acidic aqueous humic acid (HA) solutions as a missing daytime nitrous acid (HONO) surface source

A comprehensive kinetic study of a potential daytime nitrous acid (HONO) source reaction, the photoenhanced reduction reaction of the nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) on acidic humic acid (HA), was completed using a wetted-wall flow tube (WWFT) (Fickert et al.: J. Phys. Chem. A. 102, 10689, 1998) photoreactor integrated with a high sensitivity HONO analyser (Wall et al.: J. Atmos. Chem. 55, 31–54, 2006; Huang et al.: Atmos. Environ. 36, 2225–2235, 2002). The nature of this reaction, is of great interest since recently observed, unpredictably high HONO daytime concentrations demand its ordinarily proposed heterogeneous source to proceed 60 times more rapidly at noon than during the night (Kleffmann et al.: ChemPhysChem 8, 1137–1144, 2007). This study investigated the nature of the reduction reaction with simulated colloidal HA aqueous solutions characteristic of anaerobic environmental conditions, varying in acidity, concentration and composition. Typical urban NO₂ levels were investigated. Increasing photoenhanced HONO production with weakening solution acidity was detected due to increased deprotonation of the carboxyl groups within the humic acid. It was deduced that the acidic HA substrate contains numerous feasible chromophoric sensitizer units capable of photochemically reducing NO₂ to HONO, owing to its ‘biofilm’ (Donlan, 2002) function under UV exposure. The mechanism was found to be more effective for HA standards with higher levels of ‘bioactivity’ (refractivity). Using a complex mathematical model developed, incorporating both chemistry and diffusion, reaction probability datasets were produced from the experimental data, providing evidence that this is, indeed, an environmentally important daytime HONO surface source reaction. The parameters required to scale up the data of the photoreactor to that of a regional rural/urban scale were assessed.     

DOAS observations of formaldehyde and its impact on the HO<Subscript>x</Subscript> balance in the tropical Atlantic marine boundary layer

Measurements of formaldehyde (HCHO) were made at the Cape Verde Atmospheric Observatory between November 2006 and June 2007 using the Long-Path Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (LP-DOAS) technique. Observations show that typical HCHO mixing ratios ranged between 350 and 550 pptv (with typical 2-σ uncertainties of ~110 pptv), with several events of high HCHO, the maximum being 1,885?±?149 pptv. The observations indicate a lack of strong seasonal or diurnal variations, within the uncertainty of the measurements. A box model is employed to test whether the observations can be explained using known hydrocarbon photochemistry; the model replicates well the typical diurnal profile and monthly mean values. The model results indicate that on average 20% of HO₂ production and 10% of OH destruction can be attributed to the mean HCHO levels, suggesting that even at these low average mixing ratios HCHO plays an important role in determining the HO_x (HO₂+OH) balance of the remote marine boundary layer.     

A nocturnal atmospheric loss of CH<Subscript>2</Subscript>I<Subscript>2</Subscript> in the remote marine boundary layer

Ocean emissions of inorganic and organic iodine compounds drive the biogeochemical cycle of iodine and produce reactive ozone-destroying iodine radicals that influence the oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere. Di-iodomethane (CH₂I₂) and chloro-iodomethane (CH₂ICl) are the two most important organic iodine precursors in the marine boundary layer. Ship-borne measurements made during the TORERO (Tropical Ocean tRoposphere Exchange of Reactive halogens and Oxygenated VOC) field campaign in the east tropical Pacific Ocean in January/February 2012 revealed strong diurnal cycles of CH₂I₂ and CH₂ICl in air and of CH₂I₂ in seawater. Both compounds are known to undergo rapid photolysis during the day, but models assume no night-time atmospheric losses. Surprisingly, the diurnal cycle of CH₂I₂ was lower in amplitude than that of CH₂ICl, despite its faster photolysis rate. We speculate that night-time loss of CH₂I₂ occurs due to reaction with NO₃ radicals. Indirect results from a laboratory study under ambient atmospheric boundary layer conditions indicate a k _CH2I2+NO3 of ≤4 × 10^?13 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1; a previous kinetic study carried out at ≤100 Torr found k _CH2I2+NO3 of 4 × 10^?13 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1. Using the 1-dimensional atmospheric THAMO model driven by sea-air fluxes calculated from the seawater and air measurements (averaging 1.8 +/? 0.8 nmol m^?2 d^?1 for CH₂I₂ and 3.7 +/? 0.8 nmol m^?2 d^?1 for CH₂ICl), we show that the model overestimates night-time CH₂I₂ by >60 % but reaches good agreement with the measurements when the CH₂I₂ + NO₃ reaction is included at 2–4 × 10^?13 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1. We conclude that the reaction has a significant effect on CH₂I₂ and helps reconcile observed and modeled concentrations. We recommend further direct measurements of this reaction under atmospheric conditions, including of product branching ratios.     

Satellite Measurements of Tropospheric Column O<Subscript>3</Subscript> and NO<Subscript>2</Subscript> in Eastern and Southeastern Asia: Comparison with a Global Model (MOZART-2)

Satellite measurements of tropospheric column O₃ and NO₂ in eastern and southeastern Asia are analyzed to study the spatial and seasonal characteristics of pollution in these regions. Tropospheric column O₃ is derived from differential measurements of total column ozone from Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS), and stratospheric column ozone from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) instrument on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS). The tropospheric column NO₂ is measured by Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME). A global chemical and transport model (Model of Ozone and Related Chemical Tracers, version 2; MOZART-2) is applied to analyze and interpret the satellite measurements. The study, which is based on spring, summer, and fall months of 1997 shows generally good agreement between the model and satellite data with respect to seasonal and spatial characteristics of O₃ and NO₂ fields. The analysis of the model results show that the industrial emission of NO_x (NO + NO₂) contributes about 50%–80% to tropospheric column NO₂ in eastern Asia and about 20%–50% in southeastern Asia. The contribution of industrial emission of NO_x to tropospheric column O₃ ranges from 10% to 30% in eastern Asia. Biomass burning and lightning NO_x emissions have a small effect on tropospheric O₃ in central and eastern Asia, but they have a significant impact in southeastern Asia. The varying effects of NO_x on tropospheric column ozone are attributed to differences in relative abundance of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with respect to total nitrogen in the two regions.     

A Seasonal Comparison of the Ozone Photochemistry in Clean and Polluted Air Masses at Mace Head, Ireland

Measurements of the sum of peroxy radicals [HO₂ + RO₂],NO_x (NO + NO₂) and NO_y (the sum of oxidisednitrogen species) made at Mace Head, on the Atlantic coast of Ireland in summer 1996 and spring 1997 are presented. Together with a suite of ancillary measurements, including the photolysis frequencies of O₃ O(¹D)(j(O¹D)) and NO₂ (j(NO₂)), the measured peroxy radicals are used to calculate meandailyozone tendency (defined as the difference of the in-situphotochemical ozone production and loss rates); these values are compared with values derived from the photochemical stationary state (PSS) expression. Although the correlation between the two sets of values is good, the PSS values are found to be significantly larger than those derived from the peroxy radical measurements, on average, in line with previous published work. Possible sources of error in these calculations are discussed in detail. The data are further divided up into five wind sectors, according to the instantaneous wind direction measured at the research station. Calculation of mean ozone tendencies by wind sector shows that ozone productivity was higher during spring (April–May) 1997 than during summer (July–August) 1996across all airmasses, suggesting that tropospheric photochemistry plays an important role in the widely-reported spring ozone maximum in the Northern Hemisphere. Ozone tendencies were close to zero for the relatively unpolluted south-west, west and north-west wind sectors in the summer campaign, whereas ozone productivity was greatest in the polluted south-east sector for both campaigns. Daytime weighted average ozone tendencies were +(0.3± 0.1) ppbv h^–1 for summer 1996 and +(1.0± 0.5) ppbvh^–1 for spring 1997. These figures reflect the higher mixing ratios of ozone precursors in spring overall, as well as the higher proportion of polluted air masses from the south-east arriving at the site during the spring campaign. The ozone compensation point, where photochemical ozone destruction and production processes are in balance, is calculated to be ca. 14 pptv NO for both campaigns.     

Atmospheric chemistry of alkanes

The reactions of the alkanes under atmospheric conditions and in the presence of oxides of nitrogen are reviewed and evaluated. Particular emphasis is placed upon their subsequent reactions after the initial OH radical reaction under conditions where the alkyl peroxy radicals produced react predominantly with NO, rather than with HO₂ and/or RO₂ radicals. Methods are discussed for estimating the overall OH radical rate constants, the number of molecules of NO consumed per alkane molecule reacted, and the products formed and their yields.     

NO<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> change over China and its influences

A 3-D chemical transport model (OSLO CTM2) is used to investigate the impact of the increase of NOx emission over China. The model is capable to reproduce basically the seasonal variation of surface NOx and ozone over eastern China. NOx emission data and observations reveal that NOx over eastern China increases quite quickly with the economic development of China. Model results indicate that NOx concentration over eastern China increasingly rises with the increase of NOx emission over China, and accelerates to increase in winter. When the NOx emission increases from 1995 to its double, the ratio of NO2/NOx abruptly drops in winter over northern China. Ozone at the surface decreases in winter with the continual enhancement of the NOx level over eastern China, but increases over southern China in summertime. It is noticeable that peak ozone over northern China increases in summer although mean ozone changes little. In summer, ozone increases in the free troposphere dominantly below 500 hPa.Moreover, the increases of total ozone over eastern China are proportional to the increases of NOx emission.In a word, the model results suggest that the relationship between NOx and ozone at the surface would change with NOx increase.     

Cloud model experiments of the effect of iron and copper on tropospheric ozone under marine and continental conditions

Summary We have used a multi-phase cloud photochemistry model to investigate the influence of dissolved iron (Fe) and copper (Cu) on the in-cloud production and loss of ozone and ozone-related species. Comparison of the results of our simulations with and without Fe and Cu reactions for three different photochemical scenarios (marine, averaged continental and polluted continental) indicate that Fe and Cu reactions, depending upon the scenario considered, can either increase or decrease the predicted rate of loss of ozone and ozone related species. For the marine and averaged continental scenarios the rate of loss of ozone in the aqueous-phase was decreased by as much as 45% and 70%, respectively, when Fe and Cu reactions were considered. For polluted continental conditions, the rate of loss of ozone in the aqueous phase increased with a factor 2 for low metal concentrations up to a factor 20 for high metal concentrations. In all three scenarios inclusion of the Fe and Cu reactions results in cloud droplets becoming more efficient sinks for gas-phase HO₂ and also enhances OH production. The net effect of the decreased losses of ozone from the aqueous phase and the effect of the cloud droplets on HO₂ and OH determine the overall impact on ozone and ozone related species, for each of the situations considered. Overall, when Fe and Cu reactions were included the marine cloud was found to be a less efficient sink for ozone, and averaged continental and polluted continental clouds were more efficient sinks for ozone (O₃ losses doubled in the averaged continental scenario). The higher OH flux in the aqueous phase also enhances the rate at which organic compounds, such as formaldehyde and formic acid, are oxidized in the cloud.With 4 Figures     

Carboxylic Acids: Seasonal Variation and Relation to Chemical and Meteorological Parameters

Formic and acetic acid measured as daily averages in 1993–1994show equal and highly correlated concentrations up to 3 ppb in the summer(May–August). In the winter (October–March) the formicacid/acetic acid ratio was 0.6 and the formic acid concentrations wereusually below 1 ppb. In winter the carboxylic acids correlate withO_x, NO_y, SO₂ and particulatesulphur. The main sources are suggested to be ozonolysis of anthropogenicalkenes and reactions between peroxyacetyl radicals and RO₂radicals. In spring–summer the carboxylic acids correlate withO₃, O_x, HNO₃, PAN,NO_y, SO₂, particulate sulphur and temperature.In addition to the sources of the winter a contribution from ozonolysis ofbiogenic alkenes is likely. Quite similar formic acid/acetic acid ratios forall wind directions suggest that the source(s) are atmospheric oxidationprocesses distributed over large areas. The highest concentrations occurringfor winds from east to south and the correlation with e.g., particulatesulphur indicate chemical production in polluted air masses during longrange transport.     

ROx Budgets and O3 Formation during Summertime at Xianghe Suburban Site in the North China Plain

Photochemical smog characterized by high concentrations of ozone (O3) is a serious air pollution issue in the North China Plain (NCP) region, especially in summer and autumn. For this study, measurements of O3, nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrous acid (HONO), and a number of key physical parameters were taken at a suburban site, Xianghe, in the NCP region during the summer of 2018 in order to better understand the photochemical processes leading to O3 formation and find an optimal way to control O3 pollution. Here, the radical chemistry and O3 photochemical budget based on measurement data from 1-23 July using a chemical box model is investigated. The daytime (0600-1800 LST) average production rate of the primary radicals referred to as ROx (OH + HO2+ RO2) is 3.9 ppbv h-1. HONO photolysis is the largest primary ROx source (41％). Reaction of NO2 + OH is the largest contributor to radical termination (41％), followed by reactions of RO2 + NO2 (26％). The average diurnal maximum O3 production and loss rates are 32.9 ppbv h-1 and 4.3 ppbv h-1, respectively. Sensitivity tests without the HONO constraint lead to decreases in daytime average primary ROx production by 55％ and O3 photochemical production by 42％, highlighting the importance of accurate HONO measurements when quantifying the ROx budget and O3 photochemical production. Considering heterogeneous reactions of trace gases and radicals on aerosols, aerosol uptake of HO2 contributes 11％ to ROx sink, and the daytime average O3 photochemical production decreases by 14％. The O3-NOx-VOCs sensitivity shows that the O3 production at Xianghe during the investigation period is mainly controlled by VOCs.     

Modelled and measured concentrations of peroxy radicals and nitrate radical in the U.S. Gulf Coast region during TexAQS 2006

Measurements of total peroxy radicals (HO₂?+?RO₂) and nitrate radical (NO₃) were made on the NOAA research vessel R/V?Brown along the U.S. Gulf Coast during the TexAQS 2006 field campaign. The measurements were modelled using a constrained box-model based upon the Master Chemical Mechanism (MCM). The agreement between modelled and measured HO₂?+?RO₂ was typically within ??40% and, in the unpolluted regions, within 30%. The analysis of the model results suggests that the MCM might underestimate the concentrations of some acyl peroxy radicals and other small peroxy radicals. The model underestimated the measurements of NO₃ by 60?C70%, possibly because of rapid heterogeneous uptake of N₂O₅. The MCM model results were used to estimate the composition of the peroxy radical pool and to quantify the role of DMS, isoprene and alkenes in the formation of RO₂ in the different regions. The measurements of HO₂?+?RO₂ and NO₃ were also used to calculate the gas-phase budget of NO₃ and quantify the importance of organic peroxy radicals as NO₃ sinks. RO₂ accounted, on average, for 12?C28% of the total gas-phase NO₃ losses in the unpolluted regions and for 1?C2% of the total gas-phase NO₃ losses in the polluted regions.     

Vertical Distribution Characteristics of PM<Subscript>2.5</Subscript> Observed by a Mobile Vehicle Lidar in Tianjin,China in 2016

We present mobile vehicle lidar observations in Tianjin, China during the spring, summer, and winter of 2016. Mobile observations were carried out along the city border road of Tianjin to obtain the vertical distribution characteristics of PM_2.5. Hygroscopic growth was not considered since relative humidity was less than 60% during the observation experiments. PM_2.5 profile was obtained with the linear regression equation between the particle extinction coefficient and PM_2.5 mass concentration. In spring, the vertical distribution of PM_2.5 exhibited a hierarchical structure. In addition to a layer of particles that gathered near the ground, a portion of particles floated at 0.6–2.5-km height. In summer and winter, the fine particles basically gathered below 1 km near the ground. In spring and summer, the concentration of fine particles in the south was higher than that in the north because of the influence of south wind. In winter, the distribution of fine particles was opposite to that measured during spring and summer. High concentrations of PM_2.5 were observed in the rural areas of North Tianjin with a maximum of 350 μg m^–3 on 13 December 2016. It is shown that industrial and ship emissions in spring and summer and coal combustion in winter were the major sources of fine particles that polluted Tianjin. The results provide insights into the mechanisms of haze formation and the effects of meteorological conditions during haze–fog pollution episodes in the Tianjin area.