Development and application of a luminol-based nitrogen dioxide detector

Thesis/Dissertation · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:6173543

Wendel, G J

An instrument for the continuous measurement of nitrogen dioxide (NO/sub 2/) at all atmospheric concentration ranges and conditions was developed. The detector is based on the chemiluminescent reaction between 5-amino-2,3-dihydro-1,4-phthalazinedione (luminol) and NO/sub 2/ in alkaline aqueous solution. Development included the optimization of the cell design and the solution composition. Sodium sulfite (Na/sub 2/SO/sub 3/) and methanol (CH/sub 3/OH) were added to the solution to improve sensitivity and specificity. The detector was favorably compared to two different instruments measuring NO/sub 2/ by NO + O/sub 3/ chemiluminescent and by a tunable diode laser absorption spectrometry system. The detector has demonstrated a detection limit of 30 parts-per-trillion by volume (ppt) and a frequency response of 0.3 Hz. The instrument was operated for two one-month periods on Bermuda. The purpose was to study air masses from the East Coast of the United States after transport over the ocean. Average daily values were 400 ppt with values as low as 100 ppt measured. Other field experiments involved monitoring of NO/sub 2/ in ambient air in the range of 1 to 60 parts-per-billion by volume.

• Research Organization: Michigan Univ., Ann Arbor (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6173543
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
DETECTION
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
CHEMILUMINESCENCE
LUMINOL
AMINES
AZINES
CHALCOGENIDES
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
LUMINESCENCE
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHTHALAZINES
PYRIDAZINES
SPECTROSCOPY
500200* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
440300 - Miscellaneous Instruments- (-1989)