scholarly journals Formaldehyde (HCHO) in air, snow and interstitial air at Concordia (East Antarctic plateau) in summer

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (23) ◽  
pp. 32027-32070 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Preunkert ◽  
M. Legrand ◽  
M. Frey ◽  
A. Kukui ◽  
J. Savarino ◽  
...  

Abstract. During the 2011/12 and 2012/13 austral summers HCHO was investigated for the first time in ambient air, snow, and interstitial air at the Concordia site located near Dome C on the East Antarctic plateau by deploying an Aerolaser AL-4021 analyser. Snow emission fluxes were estimated from vertical gradients of mixing ratios observed between 1 cm and 1 m above the snow surface as well as between interstitial air a few cm below the surface and in air just above the snow-pack. Typical flux values range between 1 to 2 × 1012 molecules m−2 s−1 at night and 3 to 5 × 1012 molecules m−2 s−1 at noon. Shading experiments suggest that the photochemical HCHO production in the snowpack at Concordia remains negligible compared to temperature-driven air–snow exchanges. At 1 m above the snow surface, the observed mean mixing ratio of 130 pptv and its diurnal cycle characterized by a slight decrease around noon are quite well reproduced by 1-D simulations that include snow emissions and gas phase methane oxidation chemistry.

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. 6689-6705 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Preunkert ◽  
M. Legrand ◽  
M. M. Frey ◽  
A. Kukui ◽  
J. Savarino ◽  
...  

Abstract. During the 2011/12 and 2012/13 austral summers, HCHO was investigated for the first time in ambient air, snow, and interstitial air at the Concordia site, located near Dome C on the East Antarctic Plateau, by deploying an Aerolaser AL-4021 analyzer. Snow emission fluxes were estimated from vertical gradients of mixing ratios observed at 1 cm and 1 m above the snow surface as well as in interstitial air a few centimeters below the surface and in air just above the snowpack. Typical flux values range between 1 and 2 × 1012 molecules m−2 s−1 at night and 3 and 5 × 1012 molecules m−2 s−1 at noon. Shading experiments suggest that the photochemical HCHO production in the snowpack at Concordia remains negligible compared to temperature-driven air–snow exchanges. At 1 m above the snow surface, the observed mean mixing ratio of 130 pptv and its diurnal cycle characterized by a slight decrease around noon are quite well reproduced by 1-D simulations that include snow emissions and gas-phase methane oxidation chemistry. Simulations indicate that the gas-phase production from CH4 oxidation largely contributes (66%) to the observed HCHO mixing ratios. In addition, HCHO snow emissions account for ~ 30% at night and ~ 10% at noon to the observed HCHO levels.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matias Berasategui ◽  
Damien Amedro ◽  
Achim Edtbauer ◽  
Jonathan Williams ◽  
Jos Lelieveld ◽  
...  

Abstract. Methane sulphonamide (MSAM), CH3S(O)2NH2, has recently been detected for the first time in ambient air over the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden where peak mixing ratios of ~ 60 pptv were recorded. Prior to this study the rate constant for its reaction with the OH radical and the products thereby formed were unknown, precluding assessment of its role in the atmosphere. We studied the OH-initiated photo-oxidation of MSAM in air (298 K, 700 Torr total pressure) in a photochemical reactor using in situ detection of MSAM and its products by FTIR absorption spectroscopy. The relative rate technique, using three different reference compounds, was used to derive a rate coefficient of (1.4 ± 0.3) ×10−13 cm3 molecule−1 s−1. The main end products of the photo-oxidation observed by FTIR were CO2, CO, SO2 and HNO3 with molar yields of (0.73 ± 0.11), (0.28 ± 0.04), (0.96 ± 0.15) and (0.62 ± 0.09), respectively. N2O and HC(O)OH were also observed in smaller yields (0.09 ± 0.02), (0.03 ± 0.01). Both the low rate coefficient and the products formed are consistent with hydrogen abstraction from the -CH3 group as the dominant initial step. Based on our results MSAM has an atmospheric lifetime with respect to loss by reaction with OH of about 80 days.


2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (24) ◽  
pp. 12285-12293 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. B. Wentzell ◽  
C. L. Schiller ◽  
G. W. Harris

Abstract. Measurements of nitrous acid (HONO) were performed as part of the 2007 Border Air Quality and Meteorology Study (BAQS-Met) at the Harrow, Ontario, Canada supersite between 20 June and 10 July 2007. Nitrous acid is an important precursor of the hydroxyl radical and understanding its chemistry is important to understanding daytime oxidation chemistry. The HONO measurements were made using a custom built Long Path Absorption Photometer (LOPAP). The goal of this work was to shed light on sources of daytime HONO in the border region. During the course of the campaign HONO mixing ratios consistently exceeded expected daytime values by more than a factor of 6. Mean daytime mixing ratios of 61 pptv were observed. While HONO decay began at sunrise, minimum HONO values were measured during the late afternoon. There was little difference between the daytime (mean = 1.5%) and night-time (mean = 1.7%) ratios of HONO/NO2, thus there was a very strong daytime source of HONO which is consistent with other recent studies. Correlations of daytime HONO production with a variety of chemical and meteorological parameters indicate that production is dependent on UV radiation, NO2 and water vapour but is not consistent with a simple gas phase process. Apparent rate constants for the production of HONO from photolyticaly excited NO2 and water vapour vary from 2.8–7.8×10−13 cm3 molec−1 s−1, during the campaign. These results appear to be consistent with the heterogeneous conversion of NO2 enhanced by photo-excitation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 2695-2707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matias Berasategui ◽  
Damien Amedro ◽  
Achim Edtbauer ◽  
Jonathan Williams ◽  
Jos Lelieveld ◽  
...  

Abstract. Methane sulfonamide (MSAM), CH3S(O)2NH2, was recently detected for the first time in ambient air over the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden where peak mixing ratios of ≈60 pptv were recorded. Prior to this study the rate constant for its reaction with the OH radical and the products thereby formed were unknown, precluding assessment of its role in the atmosphere. We have studied the OH-initiated photo-oxidation of MSAM in air (298 K, 700 Torr total pressure) in a photochemical reactor using in situ detection of MSAM and its products by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) absorption spectroscopy. The relative rate technique, using three different reference compounds, was used to derive a rate coefficient of (1.4±0.3)×10-13cm3molec.-1s-1. The main end products of the photo-oxidation observed by FTIR were CO2, CO, SO2, and HNO3 with molar yields of (0.73±0.11), (0.28±0.04), (0.96±0.15), and (0.62±0.09), respectively. N2O and HC(O)OH were also observed in smaller yields of (0.09±0.02) and (0.03±0.01). Both the low rate coefficient and the products formed are consistent with hydrogen abstraction from the −CH3 group as the dominant initial step. Based on our results MSAM has an atmospheric lifetime with respect to loss by reaction with OH of about 80 d.


2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 15295-15323 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. B. Wentzell ◽  
C. L. Schiller ◽  
G. W. Harris

Abstract. Measurements of nitrous acid (HONO) were performed as part of the 2007 Border Air Quality and Meteorology Study (BAQS-Met) at the Harrow Ontario supersite between 20 June and 10 July 2007. Nitrous acid is an important precursor of the hydroxy radical and understanding its chemistry is important to understanding daytime oxidation chemistry. The HONO measurements were made using a custom built Long Path Absorption Photometer (LOPAP). The goal of this work was to shed light on sources of daytime HONO in the border region. During the course of the campaign HONO mixing ratios consistently exceeded expected daytime values by as much as a factor of 6. Mean daytime concentrations of 61 pptv were observed. While HONO decay began at sunrise, minimum HONO values were not measured until the late afternoon. There was little difference between the daytime (mean=1.5%) and night-time (mean=1.7%) ratios of HONO/NO2. Thus there was a very strong daytime source of HONO which is consistent with other recent studies. Correlations of daytime HONO production with a variety of chemical and meteorological parameters indicate that production is dependent on UV radiation, NO2 and water vapour but is not consistent with a simple gas phase process. Apparent rate constants for the production of HONO from photolyticly excited NO2 and water vapour vary from 2.8–7.8×10−3 molec−1 s−1, during the campaign.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanyuan Luo ◽  
Olga Garmash ◽  
Haiyan Li ◽  
Frans Graeffe ◽  
Arnaud P. Praplan ◽  
...  

Abstract. Diterpenes (C20H32) are biogenically emitted volatile compounds that only recently have been observed in ambient air. They are expected to be highly reactive, and their oxidation is likely to form condensable vapors. However, until now, no studies have investigated gas-phase diterpene oxidation. In this paper, we explored the ozonolysis of a diterpene, ent-kaurene, in a simulation chamber. Using state-of-the-art mass spectrometry, we characterized diterpene oxidation products for the first time, and we identified several products with varying oxidation levels, including highly oxygenated organic molecules (HOM) monomers and dimers. The most abundant monomers measured using a nitrate chemical ionization mass spectrometer were C19H28O8 and C20H30O5, and dimers were C38H60O6 and C39H62O6. The exact molar yield of HOM from kaurene ozonolysis was hard to quantify due to uncertainties in both the kaurene and HOM concentrations, but our best estimate was a few percent, which is similar to values reported earlier for many monoterpenes. We also monitored the decrease of the gas-phase oxidation products in response to an increased condensation sink in the chamber to deduce their affinity to condense. The oxygen content was a critical parameter affecting the volatility of products, with 4–5 O-atoms needed for the main monomeric species to condense. Finally, we report on the observed fragmentation and clustering patterns of kaurene in a Vocus proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Our findings highlight similarities and differences between diterpenes and smaller terpenes during their atmospheric oxidation, but more studies on different diterpenes are needed for a broader view of their role in atmospheric chemistry.


Minerals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 125
Author(s):  
Mariola Jabłońska ◽  
Janusz Janeczek ◽  
Beata Smieja-Król

For the first time, it is shown that inhaled ambient air-dust particles settled in the human lower respiratory tract induce lung calcification. Chemical and mineral compositions of pulmonary calcium precipitates in the lung right lower-lobe (RLL) tissues of 12 individuals who lived in the Upper Silesia conurbation in Poland and who had died from causes not related to a lung disorder were determined by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Whereas calcium salts in lungs are usually reported as phosphates, calcium salts precipitated in the studied RLL tissue were almost exclusively carbonates, specifically Mg-calcite and calcite. These constituted 37% of the 1652 mineral particles examined. Mg-calcite predominated in the submicrometer size range, with a MgCO3 content up to 50 mol %. Magnesium plays a significant role in lung mineralization, a fact so far overlooked. The calcium phosphate (hydroxyapatite) content in the studied RLL tissue was negligible. The predominance of carbonates is explained by the increased CO2 fugacity in the RLL. Carbonates enveloped inhaled mineral-dust particles, including uranium-bearing oxides, quartz, aluminosilicates, and metal sulfides. Three possible pathways for the carbonates precipitation on the dust particles are postulated: (1) precipitation of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC), followed by its transformation to calcite; (2) precipitation of Mg-ACC, followed by its transformation to Mg-calcite; (3) precipitation of Mg-free ACC, causing a localized relative enrichment in Mg ions and subsequent heterogeneous nucleation and crystal growth of Mg-calcite. The actual number of inhaled dust particles may be significantly greater than was observed because of the masking effect of the carbonate coatings. There is no simple correlation between smoking habit and lung calcification.


2014 ◽  
Vol 69 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 1229-1236
Author(s):  
Matthias Wörsching ◽  
Constantin Hoch

Abstract Cesium hydroxide, CsOH, was for the first time characterised on the basis of single-crystal data. The structure is isotypic to the one of the room-temperature modification of NaOH and can be derived from the NaCl structure type thus allowing the comparison of all alkali metal hydroxide structures. Raman spectroscopic investigations show the hydroxide anion to behave almost as a free ion as in the gas phase. The X-ray investigations indicate possible H atom positions.


2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 1205-1215 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-C. Gallet ◽  
F. Domine ◽  
J. Savarino ◽  
M. Dumont ◽  
E. Brun

Abstract. On the Antarctic plateau, precipitation quantities are so low that the surface mass budget is for an important part determined by exchanges of water vapor between the snow surface and the atmosphere surface. At Dome C (75° S, 123° E), we have frequently observed the growth of crystals on the snow surface under calm sunny weather. Here we present the time variations of specific surface area (SSA) and density of these crystals. Using the detailed snow model Crocus, we conclude that the formation of these crystals was very likely due to the nighttime formation of surface hoar crystals and to the daytime formation of sublimation crystals. These latter crystals form by processes similar to those involved in the formation of frost flowers on young sea ice. The formation of these crystals impacts the albedo, mass and energy budget of the Antarctic plateau. In particular, the SSA variations of the surface layer can induce an instantaneous forcing at the snow surface up to −10 W m−2 at noon, resulting in a surface temperature drop of 0.45 K. This result confirms that snow SSA is a crucial variable to consider in the energy budget and climate of snow-covered surfaces.


2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 6367-6380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marja Hemmilä ◽  
Heidi Hellén ◽  
Aki Virkkula ◽  
Ulla Makkonen ◽  
Arnaud P. Praplan ◽  
...  

Abstract. We measured amines in boreal forest air in Finland both in gas and particle phases with 1 h time resolution using an online ion chromatograph (instrument for Measuring AeRosols and Gases in Ambient Air – MARGA) connected to an electrospray ionization quadrupole mass spectrometer (MS). The developed MARGA-MS method was able to separate and detect seven different amines: monomethylamine (MMA), dimethylamine (DMA), trimethylamine (TMA), ethylamine (EA), diethylamine (DEA), propylamine (PA), and butylamine (BA). The detection limits of the method for amines were low (0.2–3.1 ng m−3), the accuracy of IC-MS analysis was 11–37 %, and the precision 10–15 %. The proper measurements in the boreal forest covered about 8 weeks between March and December 2015. The amines were found to be an inhomogeneous group of compounds, showing different seasonal and diurnal variability. Total MMA (MMA(tot)) peaked together with the sum of ammonia and ammonium ions already in March. In March, monthly means for MMA were < 2.4 and 6.8 ± 9.1 ng m−3 in gas and aerosol phases, respectively, and for NH3 and NH4+ these were 52 ± 16 and 425 ± 371 ng m−3, respectively. Monthly medians in March for MMA(tot), NH3, and NH4+ were < 2.4, 19 and 90 ng m−3, respectively. DMA(tot) and TMA(tot) had summer maxima indicating biogenic sources. We observed diurnal variation for DMA(tot) but not for TMA(tot). The highest concentrations of these compounds were measured in July. Then, monthly means for DMA were < 3.1 and 8.4 ± 3.1 ng m−3 in gas and aerosol phases, respectively, and for TMA these were 0.4 ± 0.1 and 1.8 ± 0.5 ng m−3. Monthly medians in July for DMA were below the detection limit (DL) and 4.9 ng m−3 in gas and aerosol phases, respectively, and for TMA these were 0.4 and 1.4 ng m−3. When relative humidity of air was > 90 %, gas-phase DMA correlated well with 1.1–2 nm particle number concentration (R2=0.63) suggesting that it participates in atmospheric clustering. EA concentrations were low all the time. Its July means were < 0.36 and 0.4 ± 0.4 ng m−3 in gas and aerosol phases, respectively, but individual concentration data correlated well with monoterpene concentrations in July. Monthly means of PA and BA were below detection limits at all times.


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