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Title: Sulfur Dioxide Accelerates the Heterogeneous Oxidation Rate of Organic Aerosol by Hydroxyl Radicals

Abstract

There remains considerable uncertainty in how anthropogenic gas phase emissions alter the oxidative aging of organic aerosols in the troposphere. Here we observe a 10-20 fold acceleration in the effective heterogeneous OH oxidation rate of organic aerosol in the presence of SO2. This acceleration originates from the radical chain reactions propagated by alkoxy radicals, which are formed efficiently inside the particle by the reaction of peroxy radicals with SO2. As the OH approaches atmospheric concentrations, the radical chain length increases, transforming the aerosol at rates predicted to be up to 10 times the OH-aerosol collision frequency. Model predictions, constrained by experiments over orders of magnitude changes in [OH] and [SO2], suggest that in polluted regions the heterogeneous processing of organic aerosols by OH ([SO2] ≥ 40 ppb) occur on similar time scales as analogous gas-phase oxidation reactions. These results provide evidence for a previously unidentified mechanism by which organic aerosol oxidation is enhanced by anthropogenic gas phase emissions. (Chemical Equation Presented).

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [1]
  1. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
  2. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1454461
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-05CH11231
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Environmental Science and Technology
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 50; Journal Issue: 7; Related Information: © 2016 American Chemical Society.; Journal ID: ISSN 0013-936X
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY

Citation Formats

Richards-Henderson, Nicole K., Goldstein, Allen H., and Wilson, Kevin R. Sulfur Dioxide Accelerates the Heterogeneous Oxidation Rate of Organic Aerosol by Hydroxyl Radicals. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1021/acs.est.5b05369.
Richards-Henderson, Nicole K., Goldstein, Allen H., & Wilson, Kevin R. Sulfur Dioxide Accelerates the Heterogeneous Oxidation Rate of Organic Aerosol by Hydroxyl Radicals. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5b05369
Richards-Henderson, Nicole K., Goldstein, Allen H., and Wilson, Kevin R. Tue . "Sulfur Dioxide Accelerates the Heterogeneous Oxidation Rate of Organic Aerosol by Hydroxyl Radicals". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5b05369. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1454461.
@article{osti_1454461,
title = {Sulfur Dioxide Accelerates the Heterogeneous Oxidation Rate of Organic Aerosol by Hydroxyl Radicals},
author = {Richards-Henderson, Nicole K. and Goldstein, Allen H. and Wilson, Kevin R.},
abstractNote = {There remains considerable uncertainty in how anthropogenic gas phase emissions alter the oxidative aging of organic aerosols in the troposphere. Here we observe a 10-20 fold acceleration in the effective heterogeneous OH oxidation rate of organic aerosol in the presence of SO2. This acceleration originates from the radical chain reactions propagated by alkoxy radicals, which are formed efficiently inside the particle by the reaction of peroxy radicals with SO2. As the OH approaches atmospheric concentrations, the radical chain length increases, transforming the aerosol at rates predicted to be up to 10 times the OH-aerosol collision frequency. Model predictions, constrained by experiments over orders of magnitude changes in [OH] and [SO2], suggest that in polluted regions the heterogeneous processing of organic aerosols by OH ([SO2] ≥ 40 ppb) occur on similar time scales as analogous gas-phase oxidation reactions. These results provide evidence for a previously unidentified mechanism by which organic aerosol oxidation is enhanced by anthropogenic gas phase emissions. (Chemical Equation Presented).},
doi = {10.1021/acs.est.5b05369},
journal = {Environmental Science and Technology},
number = 7,
volume = 50,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Mar 08 00:00:00 EST 2016},
month = {Tue Mar 08 00:00:00 EST 2016}
}

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Works referencing / citing this record:

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