Simultaneous measurements of peroxy and nitrate radicals at Schauinsland

We present simultaneous field measurements of NO₃ and peroxy radicals made at night in a forested area (Schauinsland, Black Forest, 48° N, 8° N, 1150 ASL), together with measurements of CO, O₃, NO _x , NO _y , and hydrocarbons, as well as meteorological parameters. NO₂, NO₃, HO₂, and (RO₂) radicals are detected with matrix isolation/electron spin resonance (MIESR). NO₃ and HO₂ were found to be present in the range of 0–10 ppt, whilst organic peroxy radicals reached concentrations of 40 ppt. NO₃, RO₂, and HO₂ exhibited strong variations, in contrast to the almost constant values of the longer lived trace gases. The data suggest anticorrelation between NO₃ and RO₂ radical concentrations at night.The measured trace gas set allows the calculation of NO₃ and peroxy radical concentrations, using a chemical box model. From these simulations, it is concluded that the observed anthropogenic hydrocarbons are not sufficient to explain the observed RO₂ concentrations. The chemical budget of both NO₃ and RO₂ radicals can be understood if emissions of monoterpenes are included. The measured HO₂ can only be explained by the model, when NO concentrations at night of around 5 ppt are assumed to be present. The presence of HO₂ radicals implies the presence of hydroxyl radicals at night in concentrations of up to 10⁵ cm^–3.     

Is the Arctic Surface Layer a Source and Sink of NOx in Winter/Spring?

Measurements of NO_x (NO +NO₂) and the sum of reactive nitrogenconstituents, NO_y, were made near the surface atAlert (82.5°N), Canada during March and April1998. In early March when solar insolation was absentor very low, NO_x mixing ratios were frequentlynear zero. After polar sunrise when the sun was abovethe horizon for much or all of the day a diurnalvariation in NO_x and NO_y was observed withamplitudes as large as 30–40 pptv. The source ofactive nitrogen is attributed to release from the snowsurface by a process that is apparently sensitized bysunlight. If the source from the snowpack is a largescale feature of the Arctic then the diurnal trendsalso require a competing process for removal to thesurface. From the diurnal change in the NO/NO₂ratio, mid-April mixing ratios for the sum of peroxyand halogen oxide radicals of 10 pptv werederived for periods when ozone mixing ratios were inthe normal range of 30–50 ppbv. Mid-day ozoneproduction and loss rates with the active nitrogensource were estimated to be 1–2 ppbv/day and in nearbalance. NO_y mixing ratios which averaged only295±66 pptv do not support a large accumulation inthe high Arctic surface layer in the winter and springof 1998. The small abundance of NO_y relative tothe elevated mixing ratios of other long-livedanthropogenic constituents requires that reactivenitrogen be removed to the surface during transport toor during residence within the high Arctic.     

NOx or VOC Limitation in East German Ozone Plumes?

The ozone forming potential of VOCs and NO_x for plumes observed from several cities and a power plant in eastern Germany was investigated. A closed box model with a gas phase photochemical reaction mechanism was employed to simulate several scenarios based upon aircraft observations. In several of the scenarios, the initial concentrations of NO_x, VOCs, and SO₂, were reduced to study the factors limiting the O₃ production. Ozone production was limited by the initial VOC concentrations for all of the simulated plumes. Higher O₃ concentrations were produced with reduced initial NO_x. In one sample with high SO₂ mixing ratios (>100 ppb), SO₂ was also identified as a significant contributor to the production of O₃.     

Reactive Nitrogen Compounds at Spitsbergen in the Norwegian Arctic

Simultaneousindependent measurements of NO_y and NO_x(NO_x= NO + NO₂) by high-sensitivitychemiluminescence systems and of PAN (peroxyacetylnitrate) and PPN (peroxypropionyl nitrate) by GC-ECDwere made at Spitsbergen in the Norwegian Arcticduring the first half year of 1994. The average mixingratio of the sum of PAN and PPN (denoted PANs)increased from around 150 pptv in early winter to amaximum of around 500 pptv in late March, whereasepisodic peak values reached 800 pptv. This occurredsimultaneously with a maximum in ozone which increasedto 45–50 ppbv in March–April. The average NO_xmixing ratio was 27 pptv and did not show any cyclethrough the period. The NO_y mixing ratio showeda maximum in late March, while the difference betweenNO_y and PAN decreased during spring. This is anindication of the dominance of PAN in the NO_ybudget in the Arctic, but possible changes in theefficiency of the NO_y converter could alsocontribute to this. Although most PAN in theArctic is believed to be due to long range transport,the observations indicate local loss and formationrates of up to 1–2 pptv h^-1 in April–May.Measurements of carbonyl compounds suggest thatacetaldehyde was the dominant, local precursor ofPAN.Now at 1.     

Seasonal variation of gaseous HNO3 and NH3 at a Tropical Savannah site

Gaseous nitric acid and ammonia were sampled with annular denuders at a forest savannah site from April to December 1987. The analysis of the extract was made spectrophotometrically and by a selective electrode for NO₃ ^– and NH₄ ⁺, respectively. Higher concentrations were observed during the vegetation burning period at the end of the dry season. In the studied savannah area, large soil emissions of NO occur during the rainy season, although very low concentrations of HNO₃ (0.035 ppb) and also of particulate NO₃ ^– (0.43 g m^-3) were observed; it is likely that NO_x are lost by fast vertical transport to the upper troposphere. During the nonburning period, the average concentration of NH₃ was 2.7 ppb, which is much lower than values given in the literature for the tropical America atmosphere. The concentrations of HNO₃ and NH₃ were always below the values needed to produce ammonium nitrate aerosols.     

On the Spatial Distribution and Seasonal Variation of Lower-Troposphere Ozone over Europe

Surface ozone data from 25 Europeanlow-altitude sites and mountain sites located between79°N and 28°N were studied. The analysiscovered the time period March 1989–February 1993.Average summer and winter O₃ concentrations inthe boundary layer over the continent gave rise togradients that were strongest in the north-west tosouth-east direction and west-east direction, respectively. WintertimeO₃ ranged from 19 to 27 ppbover the continent, compared to about 32 ppb at thewestern border, while for summer the continentalO₃ values ranged between 39 and 56 ppb and theoceanic mixing ratios were around 37 ppb. In the lowerfree troposphere average wintertime O₃ mixingratios were around 38 ppb, with only an 8 ppbdifference between 28°N and 79°N. For summerthe average O₃ levels decreased from about 55 ppbover Central Europe to 32 ppb at 79°N. Inaddition, O₃ and O_x(= O₃ + NO₂)in polluted and clean air were compared. Theamplitudes of the seasonal ozone variations increasedin the north-west to south-east direction, while thetime of the annual maximum was shifted from spring (atthe northerly sites) to late summer (at sites inAustria and Hungary), which reflected the contributionof photochemical ozone production in the lower partsof the troposphere.     

Aqueous Phase Reaction of HNO4: The Impact on Tropospheric Chemistry

We use a global atmospheric chemistry transport model to study the possible influence of aqueous phase reactions of peroxynitric acid (HNO₄) on the concentrations and budgets of NO_x, SO_x, O₃ and H₂O₂. Laboratory studies have shown that the aqueous reaction of HNO_4aq withHSO^– _3aq, and the uni-molecular decomposition of the NO₄ ^– anion to form NO₂ ^– (nitrite) occur on a time scale of about a second. Despite a substantial contribution of the reaction of HSO^– _3aq with HNO_4aq to the overall in-cloud conversion of SO₂ to SO₄ ^2–, a simultaneous decrease of other oxidants (most notably H₂O₂) more than compensated the increase in SO₄ ^2– production. The strongest influence of heterogeneous HNO₄ chemistry was found in the boundary layer, where calculated monthly average ozone concentrations were reduced between 2% to 10% andchanges of H₂O₂ between –20% to +10%compared to a simulation which ignores this reaction. Furthermore, SO₂ was increased by 10% to 20% and SO₄ ^2–depleted by up to 10%. Since the resolution of our global model does not enable a detailed comparison with measurements in polluted regions, it is not possible to verify whether considering heterogeneous HNO₄ reactions results in a substantial improvement of atmospheric chemistry transport models. However, the conversion of HNO₄ in the aqueous phase seems to be efficient enough to warrant further laboratory investigations and more detailed model studies on this topic.     

In-cloud scavenging of gases and aerosols at a mountain site in Central Switzerland

An in-cloud scavenging case study of the major ions (NH₄ ⁺, SO₄ ^2- and NO₃ ^-) determining the cloudwater composition at a mountain site (1620 m.a.s.l.) is presented. A comparison between in-cloud measurements of the cloudwater composition, liquid water content, gas concentrations and aerosol concentrations and pre-cloud gas and aerosol concentrations yields the following results. Cloudwater concentrations resulted from scavenging of about half of the available NH₃, aerosol NH₄ ⁺, aerosol NO₃ ^-, and aerosol SO₄ ^2-. Approximately a third of the SO₂ was scavenged by the cloudwater and oxidized to SO₄ ^2-. Cloud acidity during the first two hours of cloud interception (pH 3.24) was determined mostly by the scavenged gases (NH₃, SO₂, and HNO₃); aerosol contributions to the acidity were found to be small. Observations of gas and aerosol concentrations at three elevations prior to several winter precipitation events indicated that NH₃ concentrations are typically half (12–80 %) of the total (gas and aerosol) N (-III) concentrations. HNO₃ typically is present at much lower concentrations (1–55 %) than aerosol NO₃ ^-. Concentrations of SO₂ are a substantial component of total sulfur, with concentrations averaging 60 % (14–76 %) of the total S (IV and VI).     

The influence of medium-range transport on O3 levels at a rural site in Israel

Simultaneous ozone measurements were made at a rural site, 25 km SSW of the city of Jerusalem, and in the center of the city during a period of 28 months. The ozone data were supplemented by SO₂, NO/NO _x ,and meteorological measurements at both sites. Elevated ozone concentrations were recorded at the rural site, mostly during the spring months (May and June) during which the monthly averages and the monthly averages of the daily 30 min maximum levels equalled those measured in the city. During the summer months, both average and peak levels were lower at the rural site by 20 and 35 ppb. The increased ozone levels at the rural site were accompanied by a parallel increase of SO₂ and NO _x ,suggesting hat the excess ozone at the rural site is a result of a transformation during transport of air pollutants from coastal sources.     

Convective Redistribution of Ozone and Oxides of Nitrogen in the Troposphere over Europe in Summer and Fall

The fluxes of ozone and NO_x out of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) over Europe are calculated in a mesoscale chemical transport model (MCT) and compared with the net chemical production or destruction of ozone and the emissions of precursors within the ABL for two 10 days' periods which had quite different synoptic situations and levels of photochemical activity (1–10 July 1991 (JUL91) and 26 October–4 November 1994 (ON94)). Over the European continent, about 8% of the NO_x emissions were brought from the ABL to the free troposphere as NO_x, while about 15% of the NO_x emissions were brought to the free troposphere as NO_y–NO_x, i.e. as PAN or HNO₃. The convection dominates over the synoptic scale vertical advection as a transport mechanism both for NO_x and NO_y out of the boundary layer in the summertime high pressure situation (JUL91), while in the fall situation (ON94) the convective part was calculated to be the smallest. NO_x was almost completely transformed to NO_y–NO_x or removed within the ABL. Also for NO_y the major part of the atmospheric cycle is confined to the ABL both for JUL91 and ON94. The vertical transport time out of the ABL is of the order of 100h both for the total model domain and over the European continent. The net convective exchange of ozone from the ABL is not a dominant process for the amount of ozone in the ABL averaged over 10 days and the whole domain, but convection reduces the maximum ozone concentration in episodes significantly. The ozone producing efficiency of NO_x is calculated to increase with height to typically 15–20 in the upper half of the troposphere from around 5 in the ABL, but in the middle free troposphere the concentration of NO_x is often too low to cause net chemical formation of ozone there.     

Simulations of seasonal variations of sulfur compounds in the remote marine atmosphere

A photochemical box model is used to simulate seasonal variations in concentrations of sulfur compounds at latitude 40° S. It is assumed that the hydroxyl radical (OH) addition reaction to sulfur in the dimethyl sulfide (DMS) molecule is the predominant pathway for methanesulfonic acid (MSA) production, and that the rate constant increases as the air temperature decreases. Concentration of the nitrate radical (NO₃) is a function of the DMS flux, because the reaction of DMS with NO₃ is the most important loss mechanism of NO₃. While the diurnally averaged concentration of OH in winter is a factor of about 8 smaller than in summer, due to the weak photolysis process, the diurnally averaged concentration of NO₃ in winter is a factor of about 4–5 larger than in summer, due to the decrease of DMS flux. Therefore, at middle and high latitudes in winter, atmospheric DMS is mainly oxidized by the reaction with NO₃. The calculated ratio of the MSA to SO₂ production rates is smaller in winter than in summer, and the MSA to non-sea-salt sulfate (nssSO₄ ^2-) molar ratio varies seasonally. This result agrees with data on the seasonal variation of the MSA/nssSO₄ ^2- molar ratio obtained at middle and high latitudes. The calculations indicate that during winter the reaction of DMS with NO₃ is likely to be a more important sink of NO_x (NO+NO₂) than the reaction of NO₂ with OH, and to serve as a significant pathway of the HNO₃ production. If dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is produced through the OH addition reaction and is heterogeneously oxidized in aqueous solutions, half of the nssSO₄ ^2- produced in summer may be through the oxidation process of DMSO. It is necessary to further investigate the oxidation products by the reaction of DMS with OH, and the possibility of the reaction of DMS with NO₃ during winter.     

Ground Based Gas Phase Measurements in Surinam during the LBA-Claire 98 Experiment

As part of the LBA-CLAIRE-98 experiment, ground level atmosphericconcentrations of O₃, CO, hydroperoxides and organic acids weremeasured in the rainforest region in Surinam. Measurements of CO andO₃ were also made at a coastal site.The results suggest that a significant consumption of `boundary layer' ozoneoccurs over the forested region of Surinam, with an estimated net ozoneconsumption of about 5% hr^–1 during daytime. Thiswould be mainly explained by a low photochemical production and high drydeposition to the forest vegetation. Compared to other tropical sites, lowerlevels of H₂O₂ were observed at the rainforest site,with an average boundary layer concentration of 0.55± 0.2 nmolmol^–1. Also acetic and formic acids showed relatively lowaverage boundary layer mixing ratios; 1.1± 0.4 nmolmol^–1 and 1.4± 0.5 nmol mol^–1,respectively. Significant correlations were found between both acids andbetween the acids and hydrogen peroxide, suggesting an atmospheric source forthe acids.From the available observations we discuss possible implications of ourmeasurements for the O₃, HO₂, and NO_x budgetsand concentrations in the boundary layer. We conclude that, despite the highsolar irradiation, relatively low levels of O₃,H₂O₂, HCOOH and CH₃COOH are observed in theboundary layer of the rainforest of Surinam, probably due to low levels ofNO_x and high levels of VOCs, which leads to loss of OH andHO₂ radicals. Additionally, high deposition rates of these gasesoccur to the forest vegetation.     

Characteristics of ambient ammonia over Delhi,India

In the present paper, we have characterized the ambient ammonia over Delhi along with other trace gases (NH₃, NO, NO₂, SO₂ and CO) and particulates (PM_2.5 and PM₁₀) measured during December 2011 to June 2012. The average mixing ratios of ambient NH₃, NO, NO₂, SO₂ and CO were recorded as 21.2 ± 5.4, 19.5 ± 4.9, 17.4 ± 1.4, 1.7 ± 0.5 ppb and 1.6 ± 0.7 ppm, respectively, during winter, whereas the average mixing ratios of ambient NH₃, NO, NO₂, SO₂ and CO were recorded as 20.8 ± 4.7, 21.7 ± 6.3, 16.8 ± 3.1, 2.2 ± 0.8 ppb and 1.8 ± 0.9 ppm, respectively, during summer. In the present case, non-significant seasonal and diurnal variations of NH₃, NO, NO₂, SO₂ and CO were observed during both the seasons. The average monthly NH₃/NH₄ ⁺ ratios varied from 0.28 to 2.56 with an average value of 1.46 in winter. The higher NH₃/NH₄ ⁺ ratio (3.5) observed in summer indicates the abundance of NH₃ in the atmosphere during summer. The higher fraction of particulate NH₄ ⁺ observed in winter than summer attributes to the conversion of gaseous NH₃ into NH₄ ⁺. The results emphasized that the traffic could be one of the significant sources of ambient NH₃ at the urban site of Delhi as illustrated by positive correlations of NH₃ with traffic-related pollutants (NO, NO₂ and CO). Surface wind analysis and wind directions also support the roadside traffic and agricultural activities at the nearby area indicating possible major sources of ambient NH₃ at the study site.     

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.     

A summer and winter apportionment of particulate matter at urban and rural areas in northern France

The apportionment of atmospheric aerosols undertaken in Northern France during two sampling campaigns allowed to determine the influence of the atmospheric contribution of a heavy industrialized urban center on the particulate matter composition at a nearby rural site. The concentrations of major components and trace elements sampled by bulk filtration have been determined on June–July 2000 and January–February 2001, and the comparison of these two campaigns shows very well the importance of wind directions. The sources of 10 trace elements (Al, Ba, Cu, Fe, K, Mn, Pb, Sr, Ti and Zn) and 7 major components (Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻, NH₄⁺, Na, Mg and Ca) are better identified by studying their elemental contribution at each sampling site according to wind sectors. This kind of study shows that the concentrations recorded at the urban sampling site are always higher than those observed at the rural site as well during the summer campaign (about + 35%) as during the winter campaign (+ 90%), because of the predominance of the W–NW wind sector, corresponding to the influence of the urban and industrialized areas.     

Sensitivity Analysis of Photochemical Indicators for O<Subscript>3</Subscript> Chemistry Using Automatic Differentiation

Photochemical indicators for determination of O₃–NO_x–ROG sensitivity and their sensitivity to model parameters are studied for a variety of polluted conditions using a comprehensive mixed-phase chemistry box model and the novel automatic differentiation ADIFOR tool. The main chemical reaction pathways in all phases, interfacial mass transfer processes, and ambient physical parameters that affect the indicators are identified and analyzed. Condensed mixed-phase chemical mechanisms are derived from the sensitivity analysis.Our results show that cloud chemistry has a significant impact on the indicators and their sensitivities, particularly on those involving H₂O₂, HNO₃, HCHO, and NO_z. Caution should be taken when applying the established threshold values of indicators in regions with large cloud coverage. Among the commonly used indicators, NO_y and O₃/NO_y are relatively insensitive to most model parameters, whereas indicators involving H₂O₂, HNO₃, HCHO, and NO_z are highly sensitive to changes in initial species concentrations, reaction rate constants, equilibrium constants, temperature, relative humidity, cloud droplet size, and cloud water content.     

Particulate sulfate levels at a rural site in Israel

Ambient particulate sulfate measurements have been intermittently performed at a rural site in Israel over a period of more than two years. Concurrent measurements of ambient pollutants (SO₂, NO–NO_x, and O₃), as well as meteorological data, were also carried out. The daily data included four particulate sulfate samples representing four successive 6 h accumulating periods. The measured concentrations of sulfate ions ranged from a low 2 g m^-3 observed during the winter season to a high of >50 g m^-3 obtained during the summer. Little correlation was obtained between the sulfate concentration and either O₃ or SO₂, although sulfate and O₃ showed a similar diurnal and annual trend. Based on the data distribution and on a photochemical model, it was concluded that a large part of the particulate sulfate observed at the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea must be related to long-range transport from distant sources.     

A preliminary study of the carbon-isotopic content of ambient formic acid and two selected sources: Automobile exhaust and formicine ants

Relatively large quantities (1 mg) of formic acid have been collected from the atmosphere and subjected to carbon-isotopic analysis, as a means of source discrimination. Ambient formic acid was captured on Ca(OH)₂-treated filters using a high-volume sampler. The collection method was not only efficient (>96%), but also appears to have low artifact production.Most of the samples (36 out of 52) were collected over a two-year period at the summit of Mount Lemmon, Arizona, where a strong seasonality in HCOOH mixing ratio was observed (0.2 ppb during winter months to 1.5 ppb in the summer). Other collection sites included the Oregon coast, Colorado Rockies, urban Tucson, and the North Dakota prairie. The carbon-13 content of atmospheric HCOOH was found to be have little variation (–18 to –25), regardless of location or season. This is consistent with a single dominant source of formic acid. The carbon-14 measurements of 6 Mount Lemmon samples showed high levels of modern carbon (93–113% modern).The emissions from formicine ants and automobile combustion were selected as two other potential sources for isotopic analysis. The HCOOH collected from auto exhaust was much more depleted in¹³C than the atmospheric samples, with a ¹³C of –28.0 and –48.6 from a leaded and unleaded automobile, respectively. Formicine ants, on the other hand, ranged from –17.2 to –20.6.     

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.     

Analysis of Air Quality in Eastern China and its Interaction with Other Regions of the World

In this study, we used satellite data (GOME and MOPITT) together with a global chemical-transport-model of atmosphere (MOZART-2) to characterize the chemical/aerosol composition over eastern China. We then estimated the effects of local emissions in China on the chemical budgets in other regions of the world. Likewise, we also investigated the effects of air pollution from other regions on the chemical budget over eastern China. The study shows that the column CO and NO _x concentrations are also high in eastern China. The high CO and NO _x concentrations produce modest levels of O₃ concentrations during summer (about 40 to 50 ppbv) and very low O₃ during winter (about 10 to 20 ppbv) in eastern China. The calculated NO₂ column is fairly consistent from the GOME measurement. The calculated CO column is underestimated from the MOPITT measurement. One of the reasons of the underestimation of the predicted CO is due to a fact that the CO emissions were taken without considering the rapid increase of emissions from 1990 to 2000. The calculated surface O₃ is consistent with the measured values, with strong seasonal variations. However, the measurement is very limited, and more measurements in eastern China will be needed. The column NO₂ has a very strong seasonal variation in eastern China, with the highest concentrations during winter and the lowest concentrations during summer. The cause of this seasonal variability is mainly due to the seasonal changes in the chemical loss of NO _x , which is very high in summer and very low during winter. The effects of the local emissions in China and long-range transport from other regions on the chemical distributions in eastern China are studied. The results show that NO _x concentrations in eastern China are mostly caused by the local emissions in China, especially during the winter. The CO concentration over eastern China is from both the local emissions (30% to 40%) and the transport from other regions. Likewise, the CO emissions in China have an important effect on the other regions of the world, but the effect is limited in the northern hemisphere. The local emissions in China also have an important effect on surface O₃ concentrations. During winter, the local emissions reduce the surface O₃ concentrations by 30 to 50%. During summer, the local emissions produce about 50 to 70% of the O₃ concentration in eastern China.