Nitrous acid (HONO) is a reactive intermediate in the cycling of nitrogen through the atmospheric environment, and an important photochemical source of hydroxyl radical that ultimately lead to ozone and aerosol formation in urban areas. Recent field and laboratory studies point to boundary layer surfaces as the source of atmospheric HONO via biogenic and abiotic (thermal and photochemical) mechanisms. In most cases, soil plays an important role as a substrate on which HONO is formed, destroyed, or stored temporarily in the form of nitrite. This contribution will describe experiments designed to investigate the role of soil pH and mineralogy in the kinetics of HONO uptake onto soil and the ability of soil to act as a source of atmospheric HONO due to soil nitrite. The methods used include an ambient pressure flow-tube with sensitive mass spectrometry detection and surface-sensitive Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy techniques. A new mechanism of HONO uptake and release from soil that describes the experimental observations will be described and the atmospheric implications of these results will be discussed.

New insights into the mechanism of nitrous acid uptake and release on boundary layer soil surfaces

248th National Meeting (2014)

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