Determination of formaldehyde in clean air

Lowe, David C.; Schmidt, Ulrich; Ehhalt, D. H.; Frischkorn, C. G. B.; Nuernberg, Hans W.

doi:10.1021/es00089a007

Cited by 51 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…We used a technique that has been described in detail by Lowe et al [1981Lowe et al [ , 1982 and has already been used to make HCHO measurements in tropospheric air both at the ground and from aircraft [Lowe et al, 1980;Schmidt and Lowe, 1982]. This technique is based on the well-known reaction of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPHzine) with HCHO, which forms HCHO-2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone (HCHO-DNPH zone) as a product.…”

Section: Analytical Techniquementioning

confidence: 80%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Formaldehyde (HCHO) measurements in the nonurban atmosphere

Lowe¹,

Schmidt²

1983

J. Geophys. Res.

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167

115

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The mixing ratio of formaldehyde (HCHO) has been determined for air samples collected at a moderately polluted continental site (Jtilich, Federal Republic of Germany) and for samples collected at coastal sites in Ireland and New Zealand. In addition the HCHO mixing ratio has been determined for air samples collected in the North and South Atlantic during a cruise of the F/S Meteor from Hamburg at 55øN to Montevideo at 35øS in October and November 1980. The HCHO mixing ratio in clean tropical marine air is of the order of 0.2 parts per billion by volume, about 50% lower than predicted by current photochemical models that include CH,• oxidation as the only source for HCHO. In the mid-Atlantic, diurnal variations of the HCHO mixing ratio showing weak maxima during the early afternoon were occasionally observed. These variations may be attributed to the diurnal behavior of the photochemical and physical processes which determine the mixing ratio of HCHO during stable weather conditions. The results are discussed with regard to the currently accepted theory of the photochemistry of HCHO in the clean troposphere. It appears that the yield of HCHO formation through hydrocarbon photooxidation in the background marine troposphere is less than assumed from model considerations, most probably because of the lack of sufficiently high NO concentrations. HCHOin clean air are summarized in Table 1. The results display a considerable amount of scatter and are difficult to interpret in terms of current photochemical models. In addition, indirect methods have been used to estimate the HCHO mixing ratio in clean air, and these also show large variations. Junge [1963] first used HCHO measurements made in rain and dew by Dhar and Ram [1933] to deduce a tropospheric HCHO mixing ratio of 0.75 ppbv. A similar approach was used by McConnel et al. [1971] to estimate a tropospheric HCHO mixing ratio of 1.3 ppbv for summer conditions, and more recently, Warneck et al. [1978] have predicted mixing ratios ranging from 0.12 ppbv to 0.39 ppbv from rain data gathered at the west coast of Ireland by Klippel [1978]. Various photochemical models have also been used to predict HCHO distributions in the clean troposphere, but the computed values are difficult to compare because of the different assumptions used to generate the models. Graedel [1979] used a kinetic photochemical model to predict HCHO mixing ratios ranging from 0.06 to 0.2 ppbv at the surface in a marine atmosphere. Calvert [1980] published results from a photochemical model developed by D. Wuebbles predicting HCHO mixing ratios ranging from 0.45 ppbv at the ground to 0.04 ppbv at 10 km in a clean troposphere at 30øN during the solar equinox at noon. More recently, Logan et al. [[981] used a tropospheric photochemical model to compute HCHO profiles with mixing ratios at the surface ranging from 0.35 ppbv in equatorial regions to 0.10 ppbv at the poles. PRODUCTION AND REMOVAL OF HCHO IN THE CLEAN TROPOSPHERE Of the hydrocarbons found in the clean troposphere, methane has the highest con...

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Section: Analytical Techniquementioning

confidence: 80%

“…An extensive series of efficiency and interference tests have been carried out on this technique. The results of these tests have been published elsewhere [Lowe et al, 1981. They indicate that the DNPHzine technique may be used with confidence to measure the HCHO mixing ratios expected in clean marine air.…”

Section: Analytical Techniquementioning

confidence: 99%

Formaldehyde (HCHO) measurements in the nonurban atmosphere

Lowe¹,

Schmidt²

1983

J. Geophys. Res.

Self Cite

167

115

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“…Background values, summarized in Table 3, were identified from the literature [45][46][47][48][49][50][67][68][69][70][71][72][73][74][75] for 28 HAPs from measurement studies characterized as rural/ remote, hemispheric baseline, remote ocean, global background, or other terms denoting contributions from only natural sources or long-range transport. For these HAPs, the estimated concentration in each census tract is determined by summing together the estimated background value and the modeled concentrations arising from current emissions.…”

Section: Background Concentrationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

National Estimates of Outdoor Air Toxics Concentrations

Rosenbaum

Axelrad

Woodruff

et al. 1999

Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association

103

120

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The Clean Air Act identifies 189 hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), or "air toxics," associated with a wide range of adverse human health effects. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has conducted a modeling study with the Assessment System for Population Exposure Nationwide (ASPEN) to gain a greater understanding of the spatial distribution of concentrations of these HAPs resulting from contributions of multiple emission sources. The study estimates year 1990 long-term outdoor concentrations of 148 air toxics for each census tract in the continental United States, utilizing a Gaussian air dispersion modeling approach. Ratios of median national modeled concentrations to estimated emissions indicate that emission totals without consideration of emission source type can be a misleading indicator of air quality. The results also indicate priorities for improvements in modeling methodology and emissions identification. Model performance evaluation suggests a tendency for underprediction of observed concentrations, which is likely due, at least in part, to a number of limitations of the Gaussian modeling formulation. Emissions estimates for HAPs have a high degree of uncertainty and contribute to discrepancies between modeled and monitored concentration estimates. The model's ranking of concentrations among monitoring sites is reasonably good for most of the gaseous HAPs evaluated, with ranking accuracy ranging from 66 to 100%.

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“…A sensor that is both small and light is needed for estimating indoor levels of formaldehyde exposure. The DNPH method (Lowe et al., 1981) is well‐known formaldehyde measurement technique that meets these requirements. However, this analytical method requires many complex procedures including the storage of samples in a refrigerator, extraction using an organic solvent, and analysis using a chromatographic method.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Formaldehyde measurements in residential indoor air using a developed sensor element in the Kanto area of Japan

et al. 2010

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This study contributed to the measurements of indoor formaldehyde levels. We have used a newly developed sensor for time-integrated measurements of formaldehyde concentrations. This sensor does not need a power supply during exposure to air, and does not need special skills to use. This research showed that homeowners successfully deployed the sensor at the desired place and desired period in their house by themselves. Formaldehyde is emitted by various off-gassing sources, such as furniture. Therefore, for example, homeowners may want to measure the change of formaldehyde levels in their house before and after installing new furniture. This sensor may also be deployed by occupants to reduce the cost of a large-scale exposure assessment study.

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Determination of formaldehyde in clean air

Cited by 51 publications

References 6 publications

Formaldehyde (HCHO) measurements in the nonurban atmosphere

Formaldehyde (HCHO) measurements in the nonurban atmosphere

National Estimates of Outdoor Air Toxics Concentrations

Formaldehyde measurements in residential indoor air using a developed sensor element in the Kanto area of Japan

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