Aqueous particles including fog, mist, dew and cloud droplets have a profound impact on climate change and atmospheric chemistry. Singlet oxygen (1O2) reacts readily with organic pollutants in solutions forming hydrophilic compounds, consequently, it is important to characterize sources of 1O2 in order to determine the abundance and size of aqueous particles in the lower atmosphere. This study will discuss the potential role of benzoapyrene-3,6-dione (BaP-3,6-dione) photodegradation as a source of 1O2 to the lower troposphere. The results of the current study show that BaP-3,6-dione generates 1O2 very efficiently with a quantum yield of 0.9. Moreover, BaP-3,6-dione quenches 1O2 at a rate of ca. 5 � 106 M-1 s-1, illustrating that 1O2 is not a strong singlet oxygen quencher. These results suggests that the photodegradation of BaP-3,6-dione is a catalytic source of 1O2 in the lower atmosphere. The environmental implications of these findings will be discussed.

Benzoapyrene-3,6-dione as a source of singlet oxygen in the lower atmosphere

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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