The improved comparative reactivity method (ICRM): measurements of OH reactivity under high-NO_<i>x</i> conditions in ambient air

The comparative reactivity method (CRM) was developed more than a decade to measure OH reactivity (i.e., OH loss frequency) in both laboratory and field studies. However, accurate OH reactivity quantification remains challenging under real ambient conditions, especially for OH reactivity measurements in high-NOx (e.g., > 10 ppbv) environments, as ambient NO enhances the regeneration of OH radicals in the CRM reactor. To solve this problem, we design a new and improved CRM reactor (ICRM) and add NO into the system continuously so that the HO2 radical concentration is suppressed. We confirmed the appropriate level of NO by determining the maximum decrease in the pyrrole level caused by regenerated OH radicals from NO + HO2. RO2 radicals induced by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the ICRM reactor were also found to react with NO, which led to the regeneration of OH radicals and thus the underestimation of OH reactivity. This effect was quantified by the calibration of representative VOC species at different NO levels, and the correction coefficients obtained were used to correct the measured OH reactivity. All these efforts resulted in reducing the uncertainty of the NO-artifact correction by at least an order of magnitude compared to the original CRM system. Additionally, these technological improvements also considerably reduced the systematic errors from pyrrole photolysis in the original system. A new operation mode was proposed for the ICRM, which is able to avoid the interference resulting from OH radicals produced by photolysis of residual humidity and save time for ambient measurement. The ICRM system was employed in a field campaign to measure OH reactivity and performed well with ambient NO levels ranging from 0 to 50 ppbv, which are typically observed in the urban and suburban atmosphere.

Comparative reactivity of medicinal gold(I) compounds with the cyclic peptide vasopressin and its diselenide analogue

The reactions of the medicinal gold(I) compound auranofin and its strict analogues with vasopressin and its diselenide analogue were comparatively investigated by LC-electrospray MS/MS. Evidence is gained of the possible...

The Improved Comparative Reactivity Method (ICRM): measurements of OH reactivity at high-NO_X conditions in ambient air

The comparative reactivity method (CRM) has been developed more than a decade to measure OH reactivity (i.e. OH loss frequency) in both laboratory and field studies. However, accurate OH reactivity quantification remains challenging under real ambient condition, especially for OH reactivity measurements in high-NOX (e.g. > 10 ppbv) environments, as ambient NO enhance regeneration of OH radicals in the CRM reactor. To resolve this problem, we design a new improved CRM reactor (ICRM) and add NO into the system continuously, so that the HO2 radical concentration is suppressed. We confirmed the appropriate level of NO by determining the maximum decrease in the pyrrole level caused by regenerated OH radicals from NO + HO2. VOC-induced RO2 radicals in the ICRM reactor were also found to react with NO, which lead to the re-generation of OH radicals thus the underestimation of OH reactivity. This effect was quantified by the calibration of representative VOC species at different NO levels, and the correction coefficients obtained were used to correct the measured OH reactivity. All these efforts resulted in reducing the uncertainty of the NO-artifact correction by at least an order of magnitude compared to the original CRM system. Additionally, these technological improvements also considerably reduced the systematic errors from pyrrole photolysis that exists in the original system. A new operation mode was proposed for ICRM, which is able to avoid the interference resulting from OH radicals produced by photolysis of residual humidity and save time for ambient measurement. The ICRM system was employed in a field campaign to measure OH reactivity and performed well with ambient NO levels ranged from 0 to 50 ppbv, which were typically observed in urban and suburban atmosphere.

OH reactivity from the emissions of different tree species: investigating the missing reactivity in a boreal forest

In forested area, a large fraction of total hydroxyl radical (OH) reactivity remains unaccounted for. Very few studies have looked at the variations in total OH reactivity from biogenic emissions. In the present study, we investigate the total OH reactivity from three common boreal tree species (Scots pine, Norway spruce, and downy birch) by comparing it with the calculated reactivity from the chemically identified emissions. Total OH reactivity was measured using the comparative reactivity method (CRM), and the chemical composition of the emissions was quantified with two gas chromatographs coupled with mass spectrometers (GC–MSs). Dynamic branch enclosures were used, and emissions from one branch of a tree at the time were measured by periodically rotating between them. Results show that birch had the highest values of total OH reactivity of the emissions (TOHRE), while pine had the lowest. The main drivers for the known reactivity of pine and spruce were monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. Birch emissions were dominated by sesquiterpenes, but monoterpenes and green leaf volatiles (GLVs) were present as well. However, calculated reactivity values remained low, leading to the highest missing fraction of reactivity (>96 %), while pine and spruce had similar missing reactivity fractions between 56 % and 82 % (higher in the spring and decreasing as the summer proceeded). The high average values were driven by low-reactivity periods, and the fraction of missing reactivity got smaller for pine and spruce when the TOHRE values increased. Important exceptions were identified for periods when the emission profiles changed from terpenes to GLVs, a family of compounds containing a backbone of six carbon atoms with various functionalities (e.g. alcohols, aldehydes, esters) that indicate that the plant is suffering from stress. Then, very high TOHRE values were measured, and the missing fraction remained high. This study found a different trend in the missing OHRE fraction of the Norway spruce from spring to autumn compared to one previous study (Nölscher et al., 2013), which indicates that additional studies are required to fully understand the complexity of biogenic reactive emissions. Future studies of boreal trees in situ should be conducted to confirm the findings presented.

Emissions and chemistry of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in urban air: important contributions from oxygenated compounds

&lt;p&gt;Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play central roles in formation of ozone and secondary particles. However, emissions and evolution of VOCs remain uncertain in different environments, including urban regions. A field campaign was conducted at an urban site of Guangzhou in September-November of 2018 to study ozone and particle pollution in this region. VOCs species were measured by both a gas chromatography mass spectrometer (GC-MS/FID) and a proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-TOF-MS). Another PTR-MS associated with comparative reactivity method (CRM) was used for quantifing OH reactivity in the atmosphere. In total, around 1700 ions were detected in mass spectra of PTR-TOF during this campaign, among of which 438 ions are with noticeable concentrations in the atmosphere. For all of the measured VOCs species, the total average concentrations of oxygenated VOCs was 28.2 ppb, which are significantly higher than other VOCs classes, namely alkanes (19.6 ppb), aromatics (4.4 ppb) and alkenes (2.9 ppb). These oxygenated VOCs contribute large fractions (campaign-average: 28%) of the total measured OH reactivity, which leaves only a small fraction of measured reactivity as &amp;#8220;missing&amp;#8221;. We will show that primary emission and secondary formation both contribute to the measured OVOCs. These results indicate important roles of OVOCs in emissions and evolution budget of VOCs in the atmosphere.&lt;/p&gt;

Characterization of Total OH Reactivity in a Rapeseed Field: Results from the COV3ER Experiment in April 2017

Croplands remain poorly studied ecosystems in terms of total hydroxyl radical (OH) reactivity, especially when compared to forests. As part of the COV3ER project, total OH reactivity (ROH), defined as the total loss rate of OH due to its reaction with reactive species in the atmosphere, was characterized in a rapeseed field (Grignon, France) during the blooming season in April 2017. Measurements were performed in a dynamic chamber as well as in ambient air using the Comparative Reactivity Method (CRM). Complementary measurements of organic (including a proton transfer reaction quadrupole ion–time of flight mass spectrometry, PTRQi-ToFMS) and inorganic compounds were also performed in order to calculate the expected OH reactivity and evaluate the missing fraction. Measured ROH varied diurnally in the dynamic chamber (mROHchamber) with maxima around 20 to 30 s−1 at midday and minima during dark hours, following the variability of the enclosed branch VOCsrapeseed, which is light- and temperature-dependent. Oxygenated VOCs were the major compounds emitted by the rapeseed crop. However, in terms of contribution to OH reactivity, isoprene accounted for 40% during the daytime, followed by acetaldehyde (21%) and monoterpenes (18%). The comparison between mROHchamber and calculated ROH (cROHchamber) exhibited little or no difference during dark hours, whereas a maximum difference appeared around midday, highlighting a significant missing fraction (46% on average during daytime) mainly related to biogenic temperature- and/or light-dependent emissions.