This paper addresses the potential role of surface wetness in ozone deposition to plant foliage. We studied Scots pine foliage in field conditions at the SMEARII field measurement station in Finland. We used a combination of data from flux measurement at the shoot (enclosure) and canopy scale (eddy covariance), information from foliage 5 surface wetness sensors, and a broad array of ancillary measurements such as radiation, precipitation, temperature, and relative humidity. Environmental conditions were defined as moist during rain or high relative humidity, and the subsequent 12 h from such events, circumstances that were frequent at this boreal site. From the measured fluxes we estimated the ozone conductance as the expression of the strength of the 10 ozone removal surface sink or total deposition. Further, the stomatal contribution was estimated and the remaining deposition was analysed as non-stomatal sink.The combined time series of measurements showed that both shoot and canopyscale ozone total deposition were enhanced when moist conditions occurred. On average, the estimated stomatal deposition accounted for half of the measured removal 15 at the shoot scale and one third at the canopy scale. However, during dry conditions the estimated stomatal uptake predicted the behaviour of the measured deposition, but during moist conditions there was disagreement. The estimated non-stomatal sink was analysed against several environmental factors and the clearest correspondence was found with ambient relative humidity. The relationship disappeared under 70% relative 20 humidity, a threshold that coincides with the value at which surface moisture gathers at the foliage surface according to the leaf surface wetness measurements. This suggests the non-stomatal ozone sink on the foliage to be modulated by the surface films. We attempted to extract such potential modulation with the estimated film formation via the theoretical expression or adsorption isotherm. Whereas this procedure could predict 25 the behaviour of the non-stomatal sink, it implied a chemical sink that was not accountable as simple ozone decomposition. We discuss the existence of other mechanisms whose relevance needs to be clarified, in particular: a significant stomatal aperture

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) produced by plants have a major role in atmospheric chemistry. The different physicochemical properties of BVOCs affect their transport within and out of the plant as well as their reactions along the way. Some of these compounds may accumulate in or on the waxy surface layer of conifer needles and participate in chemical reactions on or near the foliage surface. The aim of this work was to determine whether terpenes, a key category of BVOCs produced by trees, can be found on the epicuticles of Scots pine (<i>Pinus sylvestris</i> L.) and, if so, how they compare with the terpenes found in shoot emissions of the same tree. We measured shoot-level emissions of pine seedlings at a remote outdoor location in Central Finland and subsequently analysed the needle surface waxes for the same compounds. Both emissions and wax extracts were clearly dominated by monoterpenes, but the proportion of sesquiterpenes was higher in the wax extracts. There were also differences in the terpene spectra of the emissions and the wax extracts. The results, therefore, support the existence of BVOC associated to the epicuticular waxes. We briefly discuss the different pathways for terpenes to reach the needle surfaces and the implications for air chemistry.</p>