Measurements of organic acids in the South Coast Air Basin. Final report

Technical Report · Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:6283957

Grosjean, D; Williams, E; Van Neste, A

Ambient levels of formic acid (up to 13 ppb) and acetic acid (up to 16 ppb) were measured at a Southern California smog-receptor site. The results are discussed with respect to emission sources, in-situ formation in the atmosphere, and removal processes for organic acids in urban atmospheres. Mobile sources contribute an estimated 20,000 kg per day of organic acids in the Los Angeles area. In-situ formation by ozone-hydrocarbon reactions contributes another 20,000 kg per day. Removal involves mostly dry deposition, with estimated deposition fluxes of 70 nmol/sq m/year for formic acid and acetic acid. Ambient levels of organic acids were higher than those of inorganic acids (nitric acid, HCl) and exceeded those of ozone 50% of the time, i.e., for 12 hours at night. Sampling and analytical methods, gas-aerosol phase partition, diurnal variations and relationships with other air-quality parameters and earlier literature data are examined in detail.

• Research Organization: Grosjean (Daniel) and Associates, Inc., Ventura, CA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6283957
• Report Number(s): PB-89-145411/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CALIFORNIA
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
ORGANIC ACIDS
ACETIC ACID
AIR QUALITY
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
FORMIC ACID
GAS ANALYSIS
OZONE
PROGRESS REPORT
REACTION KINETICS
SMOG
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FEDERAL REGION IX
KINETICS
MONOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
USA
500200* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)