Sources of ozone and sulfate in northeastern United States. Annual progress report. [Determination of anthropogenic sources from measurements at Whiteface Mountain, New York]

Technical Report · Wed Nov 15 04:00:00 EST 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6038453· OSTI ID:6038453

Husain, L.; Dutkiewicz, V.; Coffey, P. E.; Mohnen, V. A.

Measurements of daily concentrations of /sup 7/Be, /sup 32/P, and ozone at Whiteface Mountain, New York are reported for June, July, and August of 1977 and 1978. Episodes of high daily ozone are observed to coincide with peak /sup 7/Be and /sup 32/P concentrations. Since these radionuclides and ozone are produced in the stratosphere, their simultaneous increase is taken to indicate the arrival of stratospheric air. However, ozone is also produced at ground level by photochemical reactions. Therefore, only when the ground level production of ozone is small can a comparison of cosmogenic nuclides and ozone quantitatively yield stratospheric ozone component. On June 15, 1977 at least 80% of the 50 ppBv (daily average) ozone observed originated in the stratosphere. Our data indicate substantial stratospheric contributions on numerous other occasions. The /sup 7/Be and /sup 32/P concentration measurements can be used to directly determine the accompanying stratospheric ozone if (1) the /sup 7/Be (and/or /sup 32/P)O/sub 3/ mixing ratios in the upper atmosphere, and (2) mean residence time of O/sub 3/ are known. Since October 1977, the /sup 7/Be concentrations in aerosol samples collected at 10 to 12 km varied from less than or equal to 0.1 to 5.8 pCi/kg air, whereas ozone concentrations ranged between 27 and 527 ppBv. If the mean residence times and /sup 7/Be/O/sub 3/ ratios are known, ground level /sup 7/Be concentration will yield the stratosphericozone concentration. Estimated dialy stratospheric ozone components vary from 10 to 40 ppBv. Measurements of total suspended particulates (TSP), trace elements, and sulfates were also carried out. Since these are produced only at ground level, their daily variations indicate the intensity of pollutant transport from urban/industrial centers to rural Whiteface Mountain. Comparison of the elevated episodic concentrations with surface air mass trajectories show that the polluted air masses originated in the industrial Midwest.

• Research Organization: New York State Dept. of Health, Albany (USA). Div. of Labs. and Research (USA); Health Research, Inc., Albany, NY (USA); New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation, Albany (USA). Div. of Air Resources; State Univ. of New York, Albany (USA). Atmospheric Sciences Research Center
• OSTI ID: 6038453
• Report Number(s): COO-4501-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
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AIR POLLUTION
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BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
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RADIOISOTOPES
RURAL AREAS
STRATOSPHERE
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TRACE AMOUNTS
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