Evaluation of techniques for measuring biogenic airborne sulfur compounds, Cedar Island field study, 1977

Technical Report · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:5546684

McClenny, W A; Shaw, R W; Baumgardner, R E; Braman, R S; Ammons, J M

Sulfur in both gaseous and particulate form has been measured near biogenic sources using new measurement techniques. The preconcentration of gaseous sulfur on gold-coated glass beads followed by desorption into a flame photometric detection for sulfur is shown to have a detection limit of 0.1-0.2 ng of sulfur and to allow for speciation of H2S, CH3SH and (CH3)2S at low parts per trillion levels. Ambient levels of NO2 and O3 were found to alter the molecular form of sulfur on the beads unless scrubbed from the sampled air. A collection technique using tandem filters is extended from earlier efforts on fine and coarse aerosol to include collection of SO2 and H2S on chemically coated filters; these filters are analyzed by X-ray fluorescence for sulfur content. Measurements of gases evolved from biogenic sources reveal H2S and (CH3)2S as primary components with significant diurnal variations. Recommendations for further instrument development are given.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC (USA). Environmental Sciences Research Lab.; University of South Florida, Tampa (USA). Dept. of Chemistry
• OSTI ID: 5546684
• Report Number(s): PB-290658
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AEROSOLS
AIR POLLUTION
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
GAS ANALYSIS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
POLLUTION
PRODUCTIVITY
SAMPLING
SOLS
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
X-RAY EMISSION ANALYSIS
X-RAY FLUORESCENCE ANALYSIS