On the nature of the diurnal variation of sulfates at rural sites in the Eastern United States

Wolff, George T.; Monson, P.R.; Ferman, Martin A.

doi:10.1021/es60158a010

Cited by 28 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…The pH of the fogwater observed in this study ranged from 6.03 to 8.07 and averaged 7.24. Similar oxidation during fog episodes and deposition of sulfate has been previously documented. − Sulfuric acid production through SO 2 oxidation can produce acidic aerosol. High concentrations of sulfate over this region have been documented earlier …”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 63%

Secondary Organic Aerosol: A Comparison between Foggy and Nonfoggy Days

Kaul

Gupta

Tripathi

et al. 2011

Environ. Sci. Technol.

164

141

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Carbonaceous species, meteorological parameters, trace gases, and fogwater chemistry were measured during winter in the Indian city of Kanpur to study secondary organic aerosol (SOA) during foggy and clear (nonfoggy) days. Enhanced SOA production was observed during fog episodes. It is hypothesized that aqueous phase chemistry in fog drops is responsible for increasing SOA production. SOA concentrations on foggy days exceeded those on clear days at all times of day; peak foggy day SOA concentrations were observed in the evening vs peak clear day SOA concentrations which occurred in the afternoon. Changes in biomass burning emissions on foggy days were examined because of their potential to confound estimates of SOA production based on analysis of organic to elemental carbon (OC/EC) ratios. No evidence of biomass burning influence on SOA during foggy days was found. Enhanced oxidation of SO2 to sulfate during foggy days was observed, possibly causing the regional aerosol to become more acidic. No evidence was found in this study, either, for effects of temperature or relative humidity on SOA production. In addition to SOA production, fogs can also play an important role in cleaning the atmosphere of carbonaceous aerosols. Preferential scavenging of water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) by fog droplets was observed. OC was found to be enriched in smaller droplets, limiting the rate of OC deposition by droplet sedimentation. Lower EC concentrations were observed on foggy days, despite greater stagnation and lower mixing heights, suggesting fog scavenging and removal of EC was active as well.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 63%

Secondary Organic Aerosol: A Comparison between Foggy and Nonfoggy Days

Kaul

Gupta

Tripathi

et al. 2011

Environ. Sci. Technol.

164

141

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“…As Figure 5 demonstrates, the amount of sulfate in the aerosol increases during the day, in approximate coincidence with the intensity of photochemical activity. (Similar results have been presented by Wolff et al [1979].) Isotopic studies by Cunningham and Holt [1976] suggest that at least some ambient sulfate ions contain two oxygen atoms originating from sulfur dioxide, one oxygen atom from air and one oxygen atom from condensed phase atmospheric water.…”

Section: Sulfur Chemistrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemistry within aqueous atmospheric aerosols and raindrops

Graedel¹,

Weschler²

1981

Reviews of Geophysics

394

154

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1] Chemical and physical Earth models agree little as to the radioactive power of the planet. Each predicts a range of radioactive powers, overlapping slightly with the other at about 24 TW, and together spanning 14-46 TW. Approximately 20% of this radioactive power (3-8 TW) escapes to space in the form of geoneutrinos. The remaining 11-38 TW heats the planet with significant geodynamical consequences, appearing as the radiogenic component of the 43-49 TW surface heat flow. The nonradiogenic component of the surface heat flow (5-38 TW) is presumably primordial, a legacy of the formation and early evolution of the planet. A constraining measurement of radiogenic heating provides insights to the thermal history of the Earth and potentially discriminates chemical and physical Earth models. Radiogenic heating in the planet primarily springs from unstable nuclides of uranium, thorium, and potassium. The paths to their stable daughter nuclides include nuclear beta decays, producing geoneutrinos. Large subsurface detectors efficiently record the energy but not the direction of the infrequent interactions of the highest-energy geoneutrinos, originating only from uranium and thorium. The measured energy spectrum of the interactions estimates the relative amounts of these heatproducing elements, while the intensity estimates planetary radiogenic power. Recent geoneutrino observations in Japan and Italy find consistent values of radiogenic heating. The combined result mildly excludes the lowest model values of radiogenic heating and, assuming whole mantle convection, identifies primordial heat loss. Future observations have the potential to measure radiogenic heating with better precision, further constraining geological models and the thermal evolution of the Earth. This review presents the science and status of geoneutrino observations and the prospects for measuring the radioactive power of the planet.

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“…Data on O,, lacking in the 1977 study, were considered important because of the perception (e.g. Lioy and Lippmann, 1986;Lioy et al, 1979Lioy et al, , 1980Lioy et al, , 1982Wolff, 1979;Wolff et al, 1979aWolff et al, , 1979bWolff et al, , 1981Wolff et al, ,1982 that 0, is central to the summertime haze episodes in the Northeast. Undoubtedly this perception is correct; but the amount of 0, throughout the present study (and.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Atmospheric acidity measurements on allegheny mountain and the origins of ambient acidity in the Northeastern United States

Pierson

Brachaczek

Gorse

et al. 1989

Atmospheric Environment (1967)

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Atmospheric acidity as HNO,(g), SO,(g), and aerosol H + was measured on Allegheny Mountain and Laurel Hill in southwest Pennsylvania in August 1983. The aerosol H+ appeared to represent the net after H,SO, reaction with NH,(g). The resulting H+/SO:-ratio depended on SOi-concentration, approaching that of H,SO, at the highest SOi-concentrations. The atmosphere was acidic; the average concentrations of HNO, (78 nmolem-3) and aerosol H+ (205 nmolem-3), NH: (172 nmolem-") and SOi-(201 nmolem-s), and the dearth of NH,(< 15 nmoleme3), show that the proton acidity (HNO,, H2S04) of the air exceeded the acid-neutralizing capacity of the air by a factor of >2, with one l&h period averaging 263 and 844 nmoleme3 for HNO, and aerosol H+, respectively. SO, added another 900 nmole mm3 (average) of potential H+ acidity. HNO, and aerosol Hf episodes were concurrent, on 7-8 day cycles, unrelated to SOi which existed m&e in short-lived bursts of apparently more local origin. NOi was sporadic like SO,. Laurel and Allegheny, separated by 35.5 km, were essentially identical in aerosol SO:-, and in aerosol H+, less so in HNO, and especially less so in SO,; apparently, chemistry involving HNO, and aerosol H+ or SOi-was slow compared to inter-site transport times (l-2 h). From growth of b,,,, and decline of SO2 during one instance of inter-site transport, daytime rate coefficients for SO, oxidation and SO, dry deposition were inferred to have been, respectively, _ 0.05 and < 0.1 h-'. HNO, declined at night. Aerosol H+ and SOi-showed no significant diurnal variation, and 0, showed very little; these observations, together with high PAN/NO, ratios, indicate that regional transport rather than local chemistry is governing. The 0, concentration (average 56 ppb or 2178 nmole m-") connotes an oxidizing atmosphere conducive to acid formation. Highest atmospheric acidity was associated with (1) slow westerly winds traversing westward SO, source areas, (2) local stagnation, or (3) regional transport around to the back side of a high pressure system. Low acidity was associated with fast-moving air masses and with winds from the northerly directions; upwind precipitation also played a moderating role in air parcel acidity. Much of the SO, and NO,, and ultimately of the HNO, and aerosol H+, appeared to originate from coal-fired power plants. An automotive contribution to the NO, and HNO, could not be discerned. Size distributions of aerosol H+ and SO:-were alike, with MMED * 0.7 pm, in the optimum range for efficient light scattering and inefficient wet/dry removal. Thus, light scattering and visual range degradation were attributable to the acidic SOi-aerosol, linking the issues of acid deposition and visual air quality in the Northeast. With inefficient removal of aerosol H+, and inefficient night-time removal of HNO,, strong acids may be capable of long-distance transport in the lower troposphere. We obtained an accounting of aerosol mass in terms of composition, including aerosol H,O which was shown to account for much of the light scattering.

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On the nature of the diurnal variation of sulfates at rural sites in the Eastern United States

Cited by 28 publications

References 4 publications

Secondary Organic Aerosol: A Comparison between Foggy and Nonfoggy Days

Secondary Organic Aerosol: A Comparison between Foggy and Nonfoggy Days

Chemistry within aqueous atmospheric aerosols and raindrops

Atmospheric acidity measurements on allegheny mountain and the origins of ambient acidity in the Northeastern United States

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