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U.S. Department of Energy
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Atmospheric oxidation of sulfur dioxide

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5674186
An overview is presented of significant historical, recent, and new power plant and smelter plume studies which have been directed at understanding the atmospheric oxidation of sulfur dioxide. It can be concluded that the average rate of oxidation of sulfur dioxide in plumes entering into clean air is generally less than 1% per hour but in polluted urban air the rate can be at least twice as fast. In addition, there is a diurnal variation in the rate, being near zero at night and approximately 3% during midday. Although there is a tendency to select homogeneous over heterogeneous as the dominant pathway there is no basis for a definitive choice and most likely both mechanisms are at times operative. The suggestion is made that important and definitive new studies can be performed with technologies just becoming available.
Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
EY-76-C-02-0016
OSTI ID:
5674186
Report Number(s):
BNL-26929; CONF-791090-4
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English