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Title: Flux Measurements of Volatile Organic Compounds from an Urban Landscape

Abstract

Direct measurements of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions that include all anthropogenic and biogenic emission sources in urban areas are a missing requirement to evaluate emission inventories and constrain current photochemical modelling practices. Here we demonstrate the use of micrometeorological techniques coupled with fast-response sensors to measure urban VOC fluxes from a neighborhood of Mexico City, where the spatial variability of surface cover and roughness is high. Fluxes of olefins, methanol, acetone, toluene and C2-benzenes were measured and compared with the local gridded emission inventory. VOC fluxes exhibited a clear diurnal pattern with a strong relationship to vehicular traffic. Recent photochemical modeling results suggest that VOC emissions are significantly underestimated in Mexico City1, but the measured VOC fluxes described here indicate that the official emission inventory2 is essentially correct. Thus, other explanations are needed to explain the photochemical modelling results.

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Lab. (EMSL)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
876982
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-47288
Journal ID: ISSN 0094-8276; GPRLAJ; 3386; KP1205030; TRN: US200608%%351
DOE Contract Number:  
AC05-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Geophysical Research Letters, 32(20):L20802, doi: 10.1029/2005GL023356
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 32; Journal Issue: 20; Journal ID: ISSN 0094-8276
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
10 SYNTHETIC FUELS; ACETONE; ALKENES; INVENTORIES; METHANOL; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; ROUGHNESS; SIMULATION; TOLUENE; URBAN AREAS; VOLATILE MATTER; Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory

Citation Formats

Velasco, E, Lamb, Brian K, Pressley, S, Allwine, Eugene J, Westberg, Halvor, Jobson, B Tom T, Alexander, M Lizabeth, Prazeller, Peter, Molina, Luisa, and Molina, Mario J. Flux Measurements of Volatile Organic Compounds from an Urban Landscape. United States: N. p., 2005. Web. doi:10.1029/2005GL023356.
Velasco, E, Lamb, Brian K, Pressley, S, Allwine, Eugene J, Westberg, Halvor, Jobson, B Tom T, Alexander, M Lizabeth, Prazeller, Peter, Molina, Luisa, & Molina, Mario J. Flux Measurements of Volatile Organic Compounds from an Urban Landscape. United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/2005GL023356
Velasco, E, Lamb, Brian K, Pressley, S, Allwine, Eugene J, Westberg, Halvor, Jobson, B Tom T, Alexander, M Lizabeth, Prazeller, Peter, Molina, Luisa, and Molina, Mario J. 2005. "Flux Measurements of Volatile Organic Compounds from an Urban Landscape". United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/2005GL023356.
@article{osti_876982,
title = {Flux Measurements of Volatile Organic Compounds from an Urban Landscape},
author = {Velasco, E and Lamb, Brian K and Pressley, S and Allwine, Eugene J and Westberg, Halvor and Jobson, B Tom T and Alexander, M Lizabeth and Prazeller, Peter and Molina, Luisa and Molina, Mario J},
abstractNote = {Direct measurements of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions that include all anthropogenic and biogenic emission sources in urban areas are a missing requirement to evaluate emission inventories and constrain current photochemical modelling practices. Here we demonstrate the use of micrometeorological techniques coupled with fast-response sensors to measure urban VOC fluxes from a neighborhood of Mexico City, where the spatial variability of surface cover and roughness is high. Fluxes of olefins, methanol, acetone, toluene and C2-benzenes were measured and compared with the local gridded emission inventory. VOC fluxes exhibited a clear diurnal pattern with a strong relationship to vehicular traffic. Recent photochemical modeling results suggest that VOC emissions are significantly underestimated in Mexico City1, but the measured VOC fluxes described here indicate that the official emission inventory2 is essentially correct. Thus, other explanations are needed to explain the photochemical modelling results.},
doi = {10.1029/2005GL023356},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/876982}, journal = {Geophysical Research Letters, 32(20):L20802, doi: 10.1029/2005GL023356},
issn = {0094-8276},
number = 20,
volume = 32,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Oct 19 00:00:00 EDT 2005},
month = {Wed Oct 19 00:00:00 EDT 2005}
}