Particulate organic nitrates observed in an oil and natural gas production region during wintertime
Organic nitrates in both gas and condensed (aerosol) phases were measured during the Uintah Basin Winter Ozone Study from January to February in 2012. A high degree of correlation between total aerosol volume at diameters less than 500 nm and the particulate organic nitrate concentration indicates t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2015-08-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/15/9313/2015/acp-15-9313-2015.pdf |
| Summary: | Organic nitrates in both gas and condensed (aerosol) phases were measured
during the Uintah Basin Winter Ozone Study from January to February in 2012.
A high degree of correlation between total aerosol volume at diameters less
than 500 nm and the particulate organic nitrate concentration indicates that
organic nitrates are a consistent, if not dominant, fraction of fine aerosol
mass. In contrast, a similar correlation with sub-2.5 μm aerosol volume
is weaker. The C : N atomic ratio inferred from field measurements of
PM<sub>2.5</sub> and particulate organic nitrate is 34 : 1. Calculations constrained
by the observations indicate that both condensation of gas-phase nitrates
and heterogeneous reactions of NO<sub>3</sub> / N<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> are responsible for
introducing organic nitrate functionality into the aerosol and that the
source molecules are alkanes. Extrapolating the results to urban aerosol
suggests organic nitrate production from alkanes may be a major secondary
organic aerosol source. |
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| ISSN: | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |