Contribution of organic nitrates to the total reactive nitrogen budget at a rural eastern U. S. site

Journal Article · Wed Jun 20 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JD095iD07p09809· OSTI ID:5469299

Buhr, M P; Parrish, D D; Norton, R B; Fehsenfeld, F C ^[1]; Sievers, R E ^[2]; Roberts, J M ^[3]

---

1. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder (USA) NOAA, Boulder, CO (USA)
2. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder (USA)
3. Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY (USA)

Measurements of ambient levels of PAN (peroxyacetyl nitrate or, more properly, peroxyacetic nitric anhydride), C{sub 2}-C{sub 5} alkyl nitrates, NO{sub x} (NO + NO{sub 2}), HNO{sub 3}, and NO{sub 3}{sup {minus}} particulates were made concurrently with a measurement of total reactive nitrogen species (NO{sub y}) at Scotia, Pennsylvania, from July 16 to August 31, 1988. Each of the organic nitrates exhibited a marked diurnal variation. The concentration of PAN varied from 0.05 to 3 ppbv (parts per billion by volume). The sum of the alkyl nitrate concentrations varied from less than 2 to 200 pptv (parts per trillion by volume). The NO{sub y} levels varied from 1 to 30 ppbv. During periods of high photochemical activity the contributions to NO{sub y} were 30-45% from HNO{sub 3}, 20-25% from PAN, 15-25% from NO{sub x}, 5% from NO{sub 3}{sup {minus}}, and an additional 1.5% from the C{sub 2}-C{sub 5} alkyl nitrates, on average. During these periods, about 15% of the measured NO{sub y} could not be accounted for by the sum of the individually measured species. The unidentified species that constitute this 15% exhibit behavior similar to that of the measured organic nitrates.

• OSTI ID: 5469299
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 95:D7; ISSN 0148-0227; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ACID RAIN
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
DAILY VARIATIONS
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ESTERS
FEDERAL REGION III
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
LAYERS
NITRATES
NITRIC ACID
NITRIC ACID ESTERS
NITRIC OXIDE
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
NITROUS OXIDE
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OZONE LAYER
PENNSYLVANIA
PEROXYACETYL NITRATE
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
RAIN
RURAL AREAS
USA
VARIATIONS