Active Atmosphere-Ecosystem Exchange of the Vast Majority of Detected Volatile Organic Compounds

Science ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 341 (6146) ◽  
pp. 643-647 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-H. Park ◽  
A. H. Goldstein ◽  
J. Timkovsky ◽  
S. Fares ◽  
R. Weber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Measurement Techniques ◽  
Global Climate Models ◽  
Tropospheric Chemistry ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Eddy Covariance Method ◽  
Volatile Organic

Numerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exist in Earth’s atmosphere, most of which originate from biogenic emissions. Despite VOCs’ critical role in tropospheric chemistry, studies for evaluating their atmosphere-ecosystem exchange (emission and deposition) have been limited to a few dominant compounds owing to a lack of appropriate measurement techniques. Using a high–mass resolution proton transfer reaction–time of flight–mass spectrometer and an absolute value eddy-covariance method, we directly measured 186 organic ions with net deposition, and 494 that have bidirectional flux. This observation of active atmosphere-ecosystem exchange of the vast majority of detected VOCs poses a challenge to current emission, air quality, and global climate models, which do not account for this extremely large range of compounds. This observation also provides new insight for understanding the atmospheric VOC budget.

scholarly journals Nitrate radicals and biogenic volatile organic compounds: oxidation, mechanisms and organic aerosol

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. L. Ng ◽  
S. S. Brown ◽  
A. T. Archibald ◽  
E. Atlas ◽  
R. C. Cohen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Organic Nitrate ◽  
Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Volatile Organic

Abstract. Oxidation of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) by the nitrate radical (NO3) represents one of the important interactions between anthropogenic emissions related to combustion and natural emissions from the biosphere. This interaction has been recognized for more than three decades, during which time a large body of research has emerged from laboratory, field and modeling studies. NO3-BVOC reactions influence air quality, climate and visibility through regional and global budgets for reactive nitrogen (particularly organic nitrates), ozone and organic aerosol. Despite its long history of research and the significance of this topic in atmospheric chemistry, a number of important uncertainties remain. These include an incomplete understanding of the rates, mechanisms and organic aerosol yields for NO3-BVOC reactions, lack of constraints on the role of heterogeneous oxidative processes associated with the NO3 radical, the difficulty of characterizing the spatial distributions of BVOC and NO3 within the poorly mixed nocturnal atmosphere and the challenge of constructing appropriate boundary layer schemes and non-photochemical mechanisms for use in state-of-the-art chemical transport and chemistry-climate models. This review is the result of a workshop of the same title held at the Georgia Institute of Technology in June 2015. The first section summarizes the current literature on NO3-BVOC chemistry, with a particular focus on recent advances in instrumentation and models, and in organic nitrate and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation chemistry. Building on this current understanding, the second half of the review outlines impacts of NO3-BVOC chemistry on air quality and climate, and suggests critical research needs to better constrain this interaction to improve the predictive capabilities of atmospheric models.

Interactions and implications of halogens and VOCs on tropospheric oxidant cycles in the remote atmosphere

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric C. Apel
Keyword(s):  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Model Development ◽  
Tropospheric Chemistry ◽  
Chemical Mechanism ◽  
Chemical Production ◽  
Four Seasons ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Remote Troposphere

<p>Reactive halogens have wide-ranging consequences on tropospheric chemistry including ozone destruction, HOx and NOx partitioning, oxidization of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and initiation of new particle formation. Of particular note and importance, the tropospheric Ox loss due to halogens is estimated to be between 10-20% globally, and up to 50% in some local marine environments. In this work, we include a state-of-the-art coupled halogen and VOCs chemical mechanism into the CAM-Chem global model. Complementing the model development and providing the opportunity to test the model are recent results from the NASA Atmospheric Tomography (ATom) experiment.  ATom was conducted with a heavily instrumented NASA DC-8 aircraft over the course of two and a half years, transecting the lengths of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans during four seasons, constantly profiling from the surface (200 m) to the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (12000 m). The ATom payload included instruments that measured both inorganic halogens and organic halogen-containing very short-lived substances (VSLS), as well as those that measured additional volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including hydrocarbons and oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs), both of which react with halogens. Modeled BrO is sensitive to the inclusion of reactions between Br and OVOCs, particularly the aldehydes, which rapidly convert Br to HBr, a far less reactive form of Br<sub>y</sub>. These reactions can have large implications in the remote troposphere where the ATom measurements have revealed significant emissions and chemical production of low molecular weight aldehydes over the remote marine environment. A version of CAM-chem, updated to include aldehyde emissions from the ocean to close the gap between models and measurements, is used in these analyses. Comparisons between measured and modeled halogen containing species, both organic and inorganic, is presented along with a summary of the implications of our findings on the overall budgets of tropospheric halogens and ozone.</p>

Volatile organic compounds in urban and industrial atmospheres: measurement techniques and data analysis

2003 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 199-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marino Navazo ◽  
Nieves Durana ◽  
Lucio Alonso ◽  
J. Antonio García ◽  
J. Luis Ilardia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Measurement Techniques ◽  
Volatile Organic

scholarly journals A mass balance-based emission inventory of non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) for solvent use in China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ziwei Mo ◽  
Ru Cui ◽  
Bin Yuan ◽  
Huihua Cai ◽  
Brian C. McDonald ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Emission Inventory ◽  
Personal Care Products ◽  
Material Balance ◽  
Tropospheric Chemistry ◽  
Personal Care ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Solvent Use

Abstract. Non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) are important precursors of ozone (O3) and secondary organic aerosol (SOA), which play key roles in tropospheric chemistry. A huge amount of NMVOCs emissions from solvent use are complicated by a wide spectrum of sources and species. This work presents a long-term NMVOCs emission inventory of solvent use during 2000–2017 in China. Based on a mass (material) balance method, NMVOCs emissions were estimated for six categories, including coatings, adhesives, inks, pesticides, cleaners and personal care products. The results show that NMVOC emissions from solvent use in China increased rapidly from 2000 to 2014 then kept stable after 2014. The total emission increased from 1.6 Tg (1.2–2.2 Tg at 95 % confidence interval) in 2000 to 10.6 Tg (7.7–14.9 Tg) in 2017. The substantial growth is driven by the large demand of solvent products in both industrial and residential activities. However, increasing treatment facilities on the solvent-related factories in China restrained the continued growth of solvent NMVOCs emissions in recent years. Rapidly developing and heavily industrialized provinces such as Jiangsu, Shandong and Guangdong contributed significantly to the solvent use emissions. Oxygenated VOCs, alkanes and aromatics were main components, accounting for 42 %, 28 % and 21 % of total NMVOCs emissions in 2017, respectively. Our results and previous inventories are generally comparable within the estimation uncertainties (−27 %–52 %). However, there exist significant differences in the estimates of sub-categories. Personal care products were a significant and quickly rising source of NMVOCs, which were probably underestimated in previous inventories. Emissions from solvent use were growing faster compared with transportation and combustion emissions which were relatively better controlled in China. Environmentally friendly products can reduce the NMVOCs emissions from solvent use. Supposing all solvent-based products were substituted by water-based products, it would result in 37 %, 41 % and 38 % reduction of emissions, OFP and SOAP, respectively. These results indicate there is still large room for NMVOCs reduction by reducing the utilization of solvent product and end-of-pipe control across industrial sectors.

scholarly journals Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from an Open-Circuit Dry Cleaning Machine Using a Petroleum-Based Organic Solvent: Implications for Impacts on Air Quality

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 637
Author(s):  
Hyeonji Lee ◽  
Kyunghoon Kim ◽  
Yelim Choi ◽  
Daekeun Kim
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Solvents ◽  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Tropospheric Chemistry ◽  
Dry Cleaning ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Vocs Emission

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are known to play an important role in tropospheric chemistry, contributing to ozone and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) generation. Laundry facilities, using petroleum-based organic solvents, are one of the sources of VOCs emissions. However, little is known about the significance of VOCs, emitted from laundry facilities, in the ozone and SOA generation. In this study, we characterized VOCs emission from a dry-cleaning process using petroleum-based organic solvents. We also assessed the impact of the VOCs on air quality by using photochemical ozone creation potential and secondary organic aerosol potential. Among 94 targeted compounds including toxic organic air pollutants and ozone precursors, 36 compounds were identified in the exhaust gas from a drying machine. The mass emitted from one cycle of drying operation (40 min) was the highest in decane (2.04 g/dry cleaning). Decane, nonane, and n-undecane were the three main contributors to ozone generation (more than 70% of the total generation). N-undecane, decane, and n-dodecane were the three main contributors to the SOA generation (more than 80% of the total generation). These results help to understand VOCs emission from laundry facilities and impacts on air quality.

scholarly journals Volatile organic compounds and ozone air pollution in an oil production region in northern China

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tianshu Chen ◽  
Likun Xue ◽  
Penggang Zheng ◽  
Yingnan Zhang ◽  
Yuhong Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Yellow River ◽  
Northern China ◽  
Tropospheric Chemistry ◽  
Rural Site ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Regional Air Quality

Abstract. Oil and natural gas (O&NG) exploration presents a significant source of atmospheric volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are central players of tropospheric chemistry and contribute to formations of ozone (O3) and secondary organic aerosols. The impacts of O&NG extraction on regional air quality have been investigated in recent years in North America, but have long been overlooked in China. To assess the impacts of O&NG exploration on tropospheric O3 and regional air quality in China, intensive field observations were conducted during February–March and June–July 2017 in the Yellow River Delta, an oil extraction region in northern China. Very high concentrations of ambient VOCs were observed at a rural site, with the highest alkane mixing ratios reaching 2498 ppbv. High O3 episodes were not encountered during wintertime but were frequently observed in summer. The emission profiles of VOCs from the oil fields were directly measured for the first time in China. The chemical budgets of ROx radicals and O3 were dissected with a detailed chemical box model constrained by in-situ observations. The highly abundant VOCs facilitated strong atmospheric oxidizing capacity and O3 formation in the region. Oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs) played an essential role in the ROx production, OH loss, and radical recycling. Photolysis of OVOCs, O3 and HONO, as well as ozonolysis reactions of unsaturated VOCs were major primary sources of ROx. NOx was the limiting factor of radical recycling and O3 formation. This study underlines the important impacts of O&NG extraction on atmospheric chemistry and regional air quality in China.

scholarly journals Measurement report: Molecular composition and volatility of gaseous organic compounds in a boreal forest: from volatile organic compounds to highly oxygenated organic molecules

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Huang ◽  
Haiyan Li ◽  
Nina Sarnela ◽  
Liine Heikkinen ◽  
Yee Jun Tham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Organic Molecules ◽  
Measurement Techniques ◽  
Time Of Flight ◽  
Molecular Composition ◽  
Flight Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Volatile Organic

Abstract. The molecular composition and volatility of gaseous organic compounds were investigated during April–July 2019 at the Station for Measuring Ecosystem – Atmosphere Relations (SMEAR) II situated in a boreal forest in Hyytiälä, southern Finland. A Vocus proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (Vocus PTR-ToF; hereafter Vocus) was deployed to measure volatile organic compounds (VOC) and less oxygenated VOC (i.e., OVOC). In addition, a multi-scheme chemical ionization inlet coupled to an atmospheric pressure interface time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MION APi-ToF) was used to detect less oxygenated VOC (using Br− as the reagent ion; hereafter MION-Br) and more oxygenated VOC (including highly oxygenated organic molecules, HOM; using NO3− as the reagent ion; hereafter MION-NO3). The comparison among different measurement techniques revealed that the highest elemental oxygen-to-carbon ratios (O : C) of organic compounds were observed by the MION-NO3 (0.9 ± 0.1, average ± 1 standard deviation), followed by the MION-Br (0.8 ± 0.1); and lowest by Vocus (0.2 ± 0.1). Diurnal patterns of the measured organic compounds were found to vary among different measurement techniques, even for compounds with the same molecular formula, suggesting contributions of different isomers detected by the different techniques and/or fragmentation from different parent compounds inside the instruments. Based on the complementary molecular information obtained from Vocus, MION-Br, and MION-NO3, a more complete picture of the bulk volatility of all measured organic compounds in this boreal forest was obtained. As expected, the VOC class was the most abundant (about 49.4 %), followed by intermediate-volatility organic compounds (IVOC, about 48.9 %). Although condensable organic compounds (low-volatility organic compounds, LVOC; extremely low-volatility organic compounds, ELVOC; and ultralow-volatility organic compounds, ULVOC) only comprised about 0.3 % of the total gaseous organic compounds, they play an important role in new particle formation as shown in previous studies in this boreal forest. Our study shows the full characterization of the gaseous organic compounds in the boreal forest and the advantages of combining Vocus and MION APi-ToF for measuring ambient organic compounds with different oxidation extent (from VOC to HOM). The results therefore provide a more comprehensive understanding of the molecular composition and volatility of atmospheric organic compounds as well as new insights in interpreting ambient measurements or testing/improving parameterizations in transport and climate models.

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