Strong and weak acidity of aerosols collected over the northeastern United States

Journal Article · Wed Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983 · Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es00112a003· OSTI ID:5725533

Ferek, R J; Lazrus, A L; Haagenson, P L; Winchester, J W

Total sulfate, acidity, and principal cations were measured in aerosol samples collected from an aircraft over the northeastern United States and at ground level on filters protected by a denuder tube for NH/sub 3/. Aerosol acidity was determined by aqueous extraction of the filters and titration with NaOH. Strong and weak acid components were resolved by using Gran plots, and for 30 fall and summer samples the weak acidity comprised x +/- s = 26 +/- 12% of the total acidity. The strong acidity averaged 25 +/- 18% of the total sulfate equivalents. Hydrogen ion plus ammonium ion balanced closely the sulfate ion concentration with the ratio of equivalents of ((H/sup +/) + (NH/sub 4//sup +/))/(SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/) = 1.03 +/- 0.14 for 36 samples. A phase diagram for the H/sub 2/O-H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/-(HN/sub 4/)/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ system was used to determine that the aerosol particles were liquid at the ambient relative humidity in 24 of 47 cases. For the 24 liquid samples the calculated pH average 0.11 +/- 0.59.

• Research Organization: Florida State University, Tallahassee
• OSTI ID: 5725533
• Journal Information: Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 17:6; ISSN ESTHA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID RAIN
AERIAL MONITORING
AEROSOLS
AIR POLLUTION
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CATIONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
FEDERAL REGION I
IONS
MONITORING
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
POLLUTION
RAIN
SOLS
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
USA