Organic nitrates (RONO2) that are formed from the OH-initiated or NO3-initiated oxidation of biogenic alkenes can be important reservoirs and sinks for NOx (NO + NO2). Biogenic organic nitrates represent a significant fraction of the total NOy budget in forested regions. During the 2013 Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study (SOAS), speciated organic nitrates produced from the oxidation of isoprene (C5H8) and monoterpenes (C10H16) were measured with high temporal resolution and sensitivity by a time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometer (ToF-CIMS) from a 20 meter tower.  Both dark and photochemical mechanisms were observed to be important for the production of multifunctional organic nitrates at SOAS. The combined volume mixing ratios of RONO2 determined by ToF-CIMS and GC-MS were compared to a thermal-dissociation laser-induced fluorescence (TD-LIF) measurement of total organic nitrates in the gas and aerosol phase.  The mass closure of organic nitrates in the gas-phase and their fractional contributions to the aerosol phase will be presented. The significance of organic nitrates to the overall nitrogen and oxidant budgets at SOAS will be discussed.

Organic nitrate contribution to the oxidized nitrogen budget at the 2013 Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study (SOAS)

248th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.