Vertical distribution of aerosol strong acid and sulfate in the atmosphere

Tanner, Roger L.; Kumar, Romesh; Johnson, S. A.

doi:10.1029/jd089id05p07149

Cited by 33 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…This approximate ion balance was negative for all locations and seasons, indicating a tendency toward acidity for the sampled aerosol. The balance was most negative for the remote and rural sites, an observation that is consistent with other published work [ Koutrakis et al , 1988; Tanner et al , 1984].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…Figure 6 shows that this approximate ion balance is negative for all seasons and locations. As has been observed by others [ Tanner et al , 1984; Koutrakis et al , 1988], the ion balance is most negative (most acidic) at the remote and rural sites and closest to neutral in the urban sites. The fall of 2001 was the most acidic season during the 2 years of this study, especially for the urban sites.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 80%

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Aerosol chemical composition in New York state from integrated filter samples: Urban/rural and seasonal contrasts

Schwab¹

2004

J. Geophys. Res.

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[1] Filter samples have been collected and analyzed for chemical composition at a number of sites in New York state for more than 2 years. Because of the broad focus of the New York Environmental Protection Agency Supersite program, these sites include remote, rural, and urban sites in midsized and large cities. Calculated blanks and laboratory reported minimum detection limits (MDLs) for all measured species are presented. Data are averaged by location and season and presented for six sites throughout New York state. Data are presented for PM 2.5 mass, sulfate, nitrate, ammonium and carbon, and selected metals and groups of trace elements. An approximate ion balance of the major inorganic ionic species is also calculated, which shows a predominately negative ion balance with the rural and remote sites being the most negative. In addition to chemical composition values in mass per unit volume (reported to ambient conditions), we also calculate ratios of the mass concentration values for five sites referenced to our site that is closest to background, Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks. By computing base ratios for the various chemical components and ratios of ratios referenced to mass concentrations, we can provide some insight into the sources of these chemical components relative to the sources of PM 2.5 mass. The ratio of ratios analysis indicated that sulfate and potassium are the most regional species considered and that EC and some metal species have the strongest urban (especially New York City) sources.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 80%

Aerosol chemical composition in New York state from integrated filter samples: Urban/rural and seasonal contrasts

Schwab¹

2004

J. Geophys. Res.

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“…The aerosol record at Mount Washington, the highest peak (∼1910 m) in the northeast, is unique because the majority of ground‐based aerosol measurements have been conducted at lower elevations. Aerosols above the boundary layer can have a different composition than those within it because the air aloft may have a different air mass history, be isolated from surface pollution sources, and be subject to different rates and mechanisms of chemical transformation [ Tanner et al , 1984]. The meteorology affecting aerosols at Mount Washington is also different from that influencing the more populated southern region of New Hampshire.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aerosol major ion record at Mount Washington

Fischer¹,

Ziemba²,

Talbot³

et al. 2007

J. Geophys. Res.

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[1] This study examined the seasonal cycles and regional-scale meteorological controls on the chemical properties of bulk aerosols collected from 1999 to 2004 at Mount Washington, the highest peak in the northeastern United States. The concentrations of NH 4 + and SO 4 2À peaked during summer months. The pattern for aerosol NO 3 À was more complicated with relatively high median concentrations characterizing spring and summer months, but with major elevated events occurring during fall, winter, and spring. The seasonal relationship between NH 4 + and SO 4 2À indicated that during warmer months a mixture of (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 and NH 4 HSO 4 was present, while it was mainly the latter in winter. More acidity and higher concentrations of the major species were generally associated with winds from the southwest and west sectors. The highest (!95th percentile) concentrations of SO 4 2À and NH 4 + were associated with air mass transport from major upwind source regions in the Midwest and along the eastern seaboard. The ionic composition and seasonal cycle observed at Mount Washington were similar to those measured at other northeastern sites, but the range and average concentrations were much lower. These differences were exaggerated during wintertime. Included in this paper are several Eulerian case studies of SO 2 conversion to SO 4 2À during transit from Whiteface Mountain, New York, to Mount Washington. The calculations suggest a gas-phase SO 2 oxidation rate of $1-2% per hour and demonstrate the possibility of using these two sites to investigate the chemical evolution of air masses as they move from Midwestern source regions to northern New England.

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“…Coincidentally, acidic aerosol SO:-episodes and associated haze were being detected at sites in North Carolina, New Jersey and New York (Lioy et al, 1980;Stevens et al, 1978;Tanner et al, 1981band, indeed, in a network (SURE) encompassing the whole Northeast (Mueller et al, 1980bthus demonstrating that the phenomena observed on Allegheny Mountain in 1977 were regional in nature. It is now established (Charlson et al, 1978;Cunningham and Johnson, 1976;Dzubay et al, 1979;Ferek et al, 1983;Ferman et al, 1981;Lioy and Lippmann, 1986;Lioy et al, 1980;Morandi et al, 1983;Pierson, 1981;Stevens et al, 1978Stevens et al, ,1980Stevens et al, ,1984Tanner et al, 1977Tanner et al, ,1981Tanner et al, ,1984Weiss et al, 1982) that the aerosol in the eastern U.S. is commonly acidic and that the acidity identifies with H,SO, and NH,HSO,.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

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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Vertical distribution of aerosol strong acid and sulfate in the atmosphere

Cited by 33 publications

References 32 publications

Aerosol chemical composition in New York state from integrated filter samples: Urban/rural and seasonal contrasts

Aerosol chemical composition in New York state from integrated filter samples: Urban/rural and seasonal contrasts

Aerosol major ion record at Mount Washington

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

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