An intercomparison of two chamber methods for the determination of emission of nitric oxide from soil

Two chamber-based methods for measurement of emission of NO from soil have been compared. One method measured NO by conversion to NO₂ with a CrO₃ converter and NO₂ detection by luminol chemiluminescence. The other technique detects NO directly via NO/ozone chemiluminescence. The techniques were tested with a glass manifold system by addition of NO and other trace gases into a flowing zero air gas stream; water vapor was also added to the carrier gas in some cases. A second set of tests involved the simultaneous determination of NO concentrations from a chamber placed over the soil. Finally, flux measurements were made independently from common plots and from different plots within the same field. The luminol system was unaffected by the presence of ammonia, methylamine, acetonitrile and nitrous oxide, but had a lower response to NO in the presence of water vapor. The decrease was 7% at a relative humidity of 50%, and about 3% at a relative humidity of 23%. The NO/ozone chemiluminescence system was not influenced by any of the species doped into the gas stream. The simultaneous chamber data also showed a decreased response from the luminol system that was consistent with the humidity effect observed in the manifold tests. The average of independently measured flux values from common plots agreed reasonably well. However, the overall site mean flux determined by the luminol system was 74% of that of the NO/ozone system due to a larger data set from the luminol system. This comparison demonstrates that flux spatial heterogeneity can overwhelm analytical uncertainties, and that large sample sizes are needed to accurately characterize field fluxes.     

低成本高分辨电化学传感技术探测大气NO2的研究

为有序疏解大气NO_2监测环境日益复杂及成本高昂的光学探测仪器缺乏灵活性的困扰,研制了基于低成本电化学传感技术的测量系统,以四电极电化学传感器为NO_2浓度传感载体,基于差分算法补偿痕量浓度下零点电流漂移的干扰,实现了对大气NO_2的定量.结果表明,系统在摆脱有线数传束缚的基础上可稳定探测NO_2,对100 ppbv的NO_2标气响应时间T9034 s,标定探得其灵敏度为0.242 m V·ppbv-1,时间分辨率为10 s时探测限为1.5 ppbv(3σ).为验证准确性,将系统置于合肥西北郊科学岛进行了连续2个昼夜的大气NO_2测量,并与参考设备CRDS系统对比,探讨了测量结果,发现除去该系统因环境湿度贴近极限工作湿度时测量结果奇异部分,二者表现出良好的一致性,R2达到0.940,线性拟合斜率为1.047±0.006,接着分析了温湿度和其他痕量气体等干扰源.研究表明,本技术可为大气NO_2高分辨在线监测提供一种低成本便携途径.     

上海中心城区二氧化氮在线测量比对研究

对比了基于腔衰减相移光谱技术(CAPS)、化学荧光法(CL)和非相干宽带腔增强吸收光谱技术(IBBCEAS)3种不同方法在线测量NO_2浓度的仪器,并于2017年5月10日—6月10日采用3台仪器对上海中心城区大气环境NO_2进行监测,验证了IBBCEAS实验装置的稳定性、灵敏度、检测下限等关键特性,证明可以实现复杂环境下大气痕量气体高精度在线监测.IBBCEAS装置与其它两种仪器监测数据的一致性较好,监测过程中上海市中心NO_2日浓度变化范围为3~63 ppbv.各仪器测量结果之间的线性关系图表明,3种方式对NO_2浓度监测较为准确,偏差普遍在10 ppbv.根据早晚高峰车流量增加情况分析可以看出,NO_2高浓度污染主要来自于车辆排放.另外发现,受局地污染源的影响,NO_2浓度随时间推移而增加.     

基于电化学传感器的大气NO2与O3监测研究

利用四电极电化学传感器开展大气NO₂和O₃监测研究.为解决温度和湿度对传感器响应的影响问题,提出了一种具有温湿度补偿与零点校正功能的大气NO₂和O₃测量结果校准模型,通过活性炭吸附特性获得干净的背景气体,实现传感器准确的零点校正,并利用实验系统实测数据结合多元线性回归方法获得校准模型参数.首先对传感器线性响应特性进行了测试,发现O₂和O₃的测量灵敏度分别为3.889 ppbv·mV^-1和4.107 ppbv·mV^-1.同时,在合肥西郊科学岛开展了为期2 d的大气NO₂和O₃连续观测,发现两者的浓度分别为0~30 ppbv和2~100 ppbv.最后将传感器观测结果与NO_x/O₃分析仪测量结果进行了回归分析,发现两者测得的NO₂线性拟合斜率为0.9701±0.0182,R²为0.8378,测得的O₃线性拟合斜率为0.9850±0.0101,R²为0.9431.研究表明,校准后的电化学传感器可用于大气NO₂和O₃的长期监测,可为推动大气环境监测技术发展提供新的思路.     

A land use regression model incorporating data on industrial point source pollution

Advancing the understanding of the spatial aspects of air pollution in the city regional environment is an area where improved methods can be of great benefit to exposure assessment and policy support. We created land use regression (LUR) models for SO₂, NO₂ and PM₁₀ for Tianjin, China. Traffic volumes, road networks, land use data, population density, meteorological conditions, physical conditions and satellite-derived greenness, brightness and wetness were used for predicting SO₂, NO₂ and PM₁₀ concentrations. We incorporated data on industrial point sources to improve LUR model performance. In order to consider the impact of different sources, we calculated the PSIndex, LSIndex and area of different land use types (agricultural land, industrial land, commercial land, residential land, green space and water area) within different buffer radii (1 to 20 km). This method makes up for the lack of consideration of source impact based on the LUR model. Remote sensing-derived variables were significantly correlated with gaseous pollutant concentrations such as SO₂ and NO₂. R² values of the multiple linear regression equations for SO₂, NO₂ and PM₁₀ were 0.78, 0.89 and 0.84, respectively, and the RMSE values were 0.32, 0.18 and 0.21, respectively. Model predictions at validation monitoring sites went well with predictions generally within 15% of measured values. Compared to the relationship between dependent variables and simple variables (such as traffic variables or meteorological condition variables), the relationship between dependent variables and integrated variables was more consistent with a linear relationship. Such integration has a discernable influence on both the overall model prediction and health effects assessment on the spatial distribution of air pollution in the city region.     

基于腔衰减相移光谱法的二氧化氮分析仪的设计与应用

基于腔衰减相移光谱法设计了一套二氧化氮在线分析仪,通过优化测量参数,该仪器可长期稳定运行,其时间分辨率为60 s,检出限为0.191 ppb,在0~300 ppb范围内,NO₂气体浓度与相位正切信号值具有较好的二次拟合关系,R²为0.9995.另外,该仪器在泰安站进行了长期外场观测,并与改装后的进口商品化仪器PKU-Thermo 42i-TL进行比对实验,结果表明,两者的测量结果一致性较好,R²=0.9811,表明其具有良好的运行稳定性和测定结果准确性,适用于环境大气二氧化氮浓度的在线监测.外场观测结果表明,春季泰安站二氧化氮浓度均值为12.39 ppb,有明显日变化规律.     

High NO2/NOx emissions downstream of the catalytic diesel particulate filter: An influencing factor study

Diesel vehicles are responsible for most of the traffic-related nitrogen oxide (NO_x) emissions, including nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂). The use of after-treatment devices increases the risk of high NO₂/NO_x emissions from diesel engines. In order to investigate the factors influencing NO₂/NO_x emissions, an emission experiment was carried out on a high pressure common-rail, turbocharged diesel engine with a catalytic diesel particulate filter (CDPF). NO₂ was measured by a non-dispersive ultraviolet analyzer with raw exhaust sampling. The experimental results show that the NO₂/NO_x ratios downstream of the CDPF range around 20%–83%, which are significantly higher than those upstream of the CDPF. The exhaust temperature is a decisive factor influencing the NO₂/NO_x emissions. The maximum NO₂/NO_x emission appears at the exhaust temperature of 350°C. The space velocity, engine-out PM/NO_x ratio (mass based) and CO conversion ratio are secondary factors. At a constant exhaust temperature, the NO₂/NO_x emissions decreased with increasing space velocity and engine-out PM/NO_x ratio. When the CO conversion ratios range from 80% to 90%, the NO₂/NO_x emissions remain at a high level.     

Effects of nitrogen dioxide and its acid mist on reactive oxygen species production and antioxidant enzyme activity in Arabidopsis plants

Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) is one of the most common and harmful air pollutants. To analyze the response of plants to NO₂ stress, we investigated the morphological change, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and antioxidant enzyme activity in Arabidopsis thaliana (Col-0) exposed to 1.7, 4, 8.5, and 18.8 mg/m³ NO₂. The results indicate that NO₂ exposure affected plant growth and chlorophyll (Chl) content, and increased oxygen free radical (O₂⁻) production rate in Arabidopsis shoots. Furthermore, NO₂ elevated the levels of lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation, accompanied by the induction of antioxidant enzyme activities and change of ascorbate (AsA) and glutathione (GSH) contents. Following this, we mimicked nitric acid mist under experimental conditions, and confirmed the antioxidant mechanism of the plant to the stress. Our results imply that NO₂ and its acid mist caused pollution risk to plant systems. During the process, increased ROS acted as a signal to induce a defense response, and antioxidant status played an important role in plant protection against NO₂/nitric acid mist-caused oxidative damage.     

A diffusion tube survey of NO2 levels in urban areas of the U.K.

A nationwide survey of ambient NO₂ concentrations has been carried out by Warren Spring Laboratory and AEA Technology, Harwell, in urban areas of the U.K. The survey utilised passive diffusion tube samplers, deployed at 363 existing smoke/SO₂ monitoring stations, and ran from July to December 1986.Although undertaken primarily to provide an independent check on the siting of monitoring stations to determine compliance with the European Community NO₂ Directive, the survey provides for the first time a nationwide picture of urban levels of this pollutant. London was found to experience the highest average NO₂ concentrations in the U.K., with these being highest close to busy roads. Concentrations were found to be only moderately higher in winter than in summer.Correlations between measurements of SO₂, smoke and NO₂ were examined. The closest correlation is observed between NO₂ and smoke, indicating traffic to be a dominant source of these pollutants. NO₂ data are also shown to correlate well with disaggregated NO_x emission data for the U.K.     

金属化合物对发光菌的毒性效应及不同发光菌的敏感度差异研究

利用发光菌毒性测试技术,研究了5种重金属化合物HgCl2、Pb(NO3)2、Cd(NO3)2、K2Cr2O7、NaAsO2对3种常见发光菌种——青海弧菌Q67、明亮发光杆菌502、费氏弧菌的毒性效应差异.同时,对发光抑制率和金属化合物浓度进行线性回归分析后计算了EC50值(半数效应浓度值),并对比了不同菌种对各金属化合物的敏感度差异及特点.结果表明,5种重金属对青海弧菌Q67的毒性大小顺序为HgCl2Cd(NO3)2NaAsO2Pb(NO3)2K2 Cr2 O7;对明亮发光杆菌502的毒性大小顺序为:HgCl2NaAsO2Pb(NO3)2Cd(NO3)2K2 Cr2 O7;对费氏弧菌的毒性大小顺序为:HgCl2Pb(NO3)2Cd(NO3)2NaAsO2K2Cr2O7.研究结果对利用发光菌毒性测试技术测定不同废水污染时菌种的选择具有指导作用,在未知污染物的情况下应选用几种菌种同时检测,这样可以保证检测结果的可靠性.     

Experimental study of NO2 reduction in N2/Ar and O2/Ar mixtures by pulsed corona discharge

Non-thermal plasma technology has been regarded as a promising alternative technology for NOx removal. The understanding of NO2 reduction characteristics is extremely important since NO2 reduction could lower the total NO oxidation rate in the plasma atmosphere. In this study, NO2 reduction was experimentally investigated using a non-thermal plasma reactor driven by a pulsed power supply for different simulated gas compositions and operating parameters. The NO2 reduction was promoted by increasing the specific energy density （SED）, and the highest conversion rates were 33.7%, 42.1% and 25.7% for Ar, N2/Ar and O2/Ar, respectively. For a given SED, the NO2 conversion rate had the order N2/Ar 〉 Ar 〉 02/Ar. The highest energy yield of 3.31 g/kWh was obtained in N2/Ar plasma and decreased with increasing SED; the same trends were also found in the other two gas compositions. The conversion rate decreased with increasing initial NO2 concentration. Furthermore, the presence of N2 or O2 led to different reaction pathways for NO2 conversion due to the formation of different dominating reactive radicals.     

Calculation of long term averaged ground level ozone concentrations

Seasonal averaged ground level concentrations for O₃ have been calculated for The Netherlands by means of a two-layer Lagrangian long-range transport (LRT) model. The model includes emissions, nonlinear atmospheric chemistry, dry deposition, exchange between boundary layer (BL) and free troposphere (FT) and fumigation between a mixed layer and an aged smog layer. Concentrations of primary and secondary pollutants in the FT are obtained from a two-dimensional global model developed by Isaksen.In the reference calculation the modelled concentrations of Ox (sum of O₃ and NO₂) and O₃ are in fair agreement with measurements. The NO_x (sum of NO and NO₂) and NO₂ concentrations are under-estimated by the model but there is a good temporal correlation between calculated and measured concentrations. Validation of other components involved in the chemical scheme is hardly possible due to the paucity of measured data. It can only be stated that the results presented in this paper are not in disagreement with measured or modelled data presented in the literature.In a number of sensitivity runs the influence of European anthropogenic emissions of NO_x and volatile organic compounds (VOC) has been investigated. The calculations indicate that the influence of European emissions on the growing season, daytime averaged (May–September, 10–17 h) O₃ concentrations in The Netherlands is small. For European reductions in the order of tens of per cents a VOC emission reduction is more effective than a NO_x emission reduction in lowering the O₃ concentrations. For strong reductions (about 70%) VOC and NO_x are equally effective. The effects of the modelled underprediction of NO_x concentrations on the production of O₃ on a European scale are probably small. On a local scale the effects are more pronounced due to the NO/O₃ titration (photostationary equilibrium). Therefore, an empirical correction is applied on the modelled O₃ concentrations. After this correction, it is shown that daytime O₃ levels during the growing season increase when European NO_x emissions are reduced (2.0–7.7.% increase at 50% NO_x emission reduction). A reduction in VOC emission leads to decreasing O₃ levels (9% reduction for 40% VOC emission reduction, 16% reduction for 70% VOC emission reduction). For a combined reduction of both VOC and NO_x slightly decreasing ground level O₃ concentrations are expected.     

基于远程在线监控车载终端的柴油车NOx排放等级诊断研究

远程在线监控车载终端集成了远程通讯模块、卫星定位模块、发动机OBD信息解析模块,能够实时读取车辆排放相关运行信息,但无法直接判断车辆NO_x排放情况.为了快速、准确地评估车辆排放情况,诊断和监测NO_x高排放车,同时为了克服有些重型柴油车监测数据中缺失进气流量、燃油流量、车速等重要的实时信息,无法计算出车辆NO_x排放因子的问题.本文提出了由NO_x浓度分布特征驱动的高排放重型柴油车识别算法,通过远程在线监控车载终端设备获取车辆的发动机信息和SCR系统运行信息,运用NO_x浓度分布计算车辆每天NO_x排放浓度占比,通过系统聚类法对车辆NO_x排放浓度占比进行聚类,结果聚为优、良、中、差4类.利用车辆NO_x排放浓度区间分布及其聚类结果分别作为训练集的输入和输出,选择BP神经网络作为训练算法,训练获得的模型分类准确率为90%,利用训练好的模型判断在用柴油车NO_x排放等级,从而识别及监测NO_x高排放车辆.研究结果可为柴油车NO_x高排放诊断及监测提供依据,有助于监管部门能够快速识别NO_x高排放车辆.     

A guide for compiling inventories in hybrid life-cycle assessments: some Australian results

Hybrid life-cycle assessment employing input–output analysis has advantages over conventional methods. In the inventory phase of a hybrid assessment, the data collection and the boundary selection can be tailored by using structural path analysis. This technique was applied to recent Australian data in order to determine environmentally important input paths in terms of energy consumption, land disturbance, water use, and emissions of greenhouse gases, NO_x, and SO₂, for all Australian industry sectors. Due to the complexity of inter-industrial transactions, up to third-order paths can be top-ranking. The identification of such paths is considerably more labour-intensive in conventional life-cycle assessments.     

Comparative study on estimation methods for NOx emissions from a roadway

In order to estimate NO_x concentration at road side areas, it is necessary to determine the NO_x emissions from the automobile passing a road. There are two methods for estimation of NO_x emission. One is calculated by the emission factor of automobile, driving mode and traffic volume. Another is a method based on the relation between NO_x and tracer gas concentration of diffusion experiment.First, diffusion experiments by air tracer were conducted. They were carried out at two areas, one of which was an open area and the other was a highly-built-up area. In the experiment, traffic volume, NO_x and tracer gas concentrations were measured simultaneously. However, the result obtained at the former area was used for this analysis.The NO_x emission rate of the automobile was calculated from the data of traffic survey and tracer gas experiments and both results were compared. Three methods for estimation of NO_x emission rate from traffic survey were employed in this study.From these results, it can be confirmed that both results are in agreement and well correlated, so these estimation methods are considered to be appropriate.     

Spatial variability of urban precipitation chemistry and deposition: Statistical associations between constituents and potential removal processes of precursor species

The precipitation chemistry of Greater Manchester, a Metropolitan County in the northwest of England, has been examined for small scale spatial variability using a network of 18 bulk precipitation collectors. Significant spatial variability was found for concentrations of non-marine SO₄²⁻, NO₃⁻, NH₄⁺, Ca²⁺ and H⁺ ions. The statistical associations between the data were investigated using correlation, partial correlation and principal components analyses. It was found that zero-order correlation coefficients were inadequate for the interpretation of the data and that the computation of first, and higher order partial correlation coefficients was necessary in order to explain the interrelationships between the data and their spatial variability. The statistical associations between the data suggest relationships between Ca²⁺ and non-marine SO₄²⁻, and NO₃⁺ in precipitation which are discussed in terms of their possible precursor species. Potential source effects were examined in conjunction with atmospheric removal processes. The dry deposition of SO₄ particles, rather than the dry deposition of SO₂, may explain the spatial variability of non-marine SO₄²⁻. The erosion of CaSO₄ formed from the reaction of SO₂ with CaCO₃ on urban surfaces with subsequent resuspension is thought to be the basis of the relationship between Ca²⁺ and non-marine SO₄²⁻ concentrations in precipitation. The wet and dry deposition of CaCO₃ particles from local sources may be partially responsible for the spatial variability of H⁺, and dry deposition and scavenging of NH₃, in conjunction with the predominant wind direction may explain the spatial variability of NO₃⁻ and NH₄⁺ ions. Ammonia is thought to originate from sources both outside the study area and within it.     

中国西部人为源NO2污染的时空分布及影响因素研究

利用臭氧监测仪卫星遥感反演获得对流层NO_2柱浓度数据,分析了2005—2016年中国西部地区NO_2污染的时空演变特征及影响因素.首先,根据NO_2污染的季节特性,剔除了自然源NO_2后得到人为源NO_2柱浓度信息;然后,利用小波变换分解方法对西部地区NO_2柱浓度的长期趋势和季节特性进行提取,并对比了东西部的NO_2增长情况;最后,结合经济社会数据分析了西部各省NO_2污染的主要驱动因素.结果发现,西部地区的NO_2浓度在2005—2012年期间呈快速增长趋势,西北各省份的增速均超过了10%a~(-1).然而,2012年之后,西部各省的NO_2浓度开始下降.结合"十二五"计划中的各省氮氧化物减排目标,发现大多数西部省份都较好地完成了减排任务.此外,煤炭消费是西部各省NO_2污染的最主要因素.然而,对于云南和四川而言,虽然水电发展替代了部分火电,使得煤炭消费增速减缓,但交通排放成为这两个省份NO_2污染的最主要驱动因素.西部地区是国家"一带一路"新战略的重要区域,本研究结果将为政府制定有效的控制排放政策,以及促进西部区域可持续发展提供重要的科学参考.     

Long-term reductions in costs of controlling regional air pollution in Europe due to climate policy

This paper examines to what extent climate change policies will alter the effectiveness of agreed-upon or future policies to reduce regional air pollution in Europe and vice versa. And when is it cost-effective to combat regional air pollution with clean technology instead of add-on technology?For this exercise, several extensions were made to the energy model TIMER, to introduce add-on abatement technologies, specified in terms of costs and reduction potentials, in order to be able to calculate cost-effective emission reduction strategies for different scenarios and regions.The results show that add-on technologies to reduce regional air pollution remain necessary throughout the century. The costs to reach the NO_x emission reduction targets in Europe are about three times as high as for SO₂. Mitigation costs averaged over the century by add-on technologies can be reduced by climate measures by 50–70% for SO₂ and around 50% for NO_x. The costs of SO₂ and NO_x mitigation by add-on technology in a world without climate policy are comparable or in some periods even higher than the costs of an integrated mitigation of SO₂, NO_x and CO₂ emissions if a reduction of specific costs by learning is, in contrast with energy technologies, not assumed for abatement technologies. So, the costs of SO₂ and NO_x add-on measures avoided by climate policies can outweigh the costs of these climate measures. The total annual costs are in the order of 1 or 2% of the present GDP, depending on the scenario.     

The nitrate radical: Physics,chemistry, and the atmosphere

This review surveys the present state of knowledge of the nitrate (NO₃ radical. Laboratory data on the physics and chemistry of the radical and atmospheric determination of the concentrations of the radical are both considered. One aim of the review is to highlight the relationship between the laboratory and the atmospheric studies. Although the emphasis of the review is on gas-phase processes, relevant studies conducted in condensed phases are mentioned because of their potential importance in the interpretation of cloud and aerosol chemistry.The spectroscopy, structure, and photochemistry of the radical are examined. Here, the object is to establich the spectroscopic basis for detection of the radical and measurement of its concentration in the laboratory and in the atmosphere. Infrared, visible, and paramagnetic resonance spectra are considered. An important quantity discussed is the absorption cross section in the visible region, which is required for quantitative measurements. Interpretation of the spectroscopic features requires an understanding of the geometrical and electronic structure of the radical in its ground and excited states; there is still some controversy about the groundstate geometry, but the most recent experimental evidence 9eg from laser induced fluorescence) and theoretical calculations suggest that the radical has D_3h symmetry. Photodissociation of the radical is important in the atmosphere, and the product channels, quantum yields, and dissociation dynamics are discussed. A short examination of the thermodynamics (heat and entropy of formation) of the radical is presented.The main exposition of laboratory studies of the chemistry of the nitrate radical is preceded by a consideration of the techniques used for kinetic and mechanistic studies. Methods for the generation and detection of the radical and the kinetic tools employed are all presented. The exact nature of the technique used in individual studies has some relevance to the way in which data must be analysed, and to the type of mechanistic information that can be extracted. Continuous and stopped flow, flash photolysis and pulse radiolysis, molecular modulation, and static reactor techniques can all provide absolute kinetic data, while relative rate measurements have been a further rich source of information.The treatment of the chemical reactions of the nitrate radical is formally divided into the interactions with non-radical inorganic (deemed to include NO and NO₂) and organic species, and with atoms and free radicals. In general, the reactions with open-shell species are much more rapid than those with closed-shell reactants. With the closed-shell partners, addition reactions are faster than abstraction reactions. An attempt is made to consider critically the published data on most reactions of importance, and to tabulate rate constants and temperature dependences where possible. However, it is not the objective of this review to provide recommendations for rate parameters. Evidence for the products of the reactions is sought, and for the branching ratios into the various channels where more than one exists. One theme of this part of the review is the elucidation of correlations of reactivity with structure and with the reactions of other radical species such as OH.The review turns next to a consideration of the role of NO₃ in the atmosphere, of its atmospheric sources and sinks, and of field measurements of concentrations of the radical. Long-path visible-absorption spectroscopy and matrix-isolation ESR have both been used successfully in field measurements in the troposphere as well as the stratosphere. Balloon-borne instruments and ground-based remote sensing have been used to obtain stratospheric concentrations. Two of the most important implications of the measurements are that the stratospheric profiles are consistent with accepted chemistry (and, in particular, do not require the postulation of an unidentified scavenging mechanism that had, at one stage, been proposed), and that the highly variable night-time tropospheric concentrations imply that NO₃ is a reactive tropospheric constituent. The inter-relation between laboratory studies and atmospheric observations, and the problems in extrapolating laboratory data to atmospheric conditions, are both explored. Initiation of night-time chemical transformations by NO₃ and the possible production of OH are considered. The available information is then brought together to see how far NO₃ is a sensitive indicator of the state of the atmosphere, and some speculations are presented about the involvement of NO₃ (or N₂O₅) in damage to trees and plants.The final section of the review suggests some issues that remain unresolved concerning the NO₃ radical which is directly or indirectly relevant to a better knowledge of the part played by the radical in the atmosphere. Amongst the requirements noted are improved data for the heat of formation of the radical, its absorption cross section in the visible region (and, especially, the temperature dependence of the cross section), and the details of its photochemistry. There is also still a need for a definitive determination of the equilibrium constant and its temperature dependence for the association with NO₂ and the reverse dissociation of N₂O₅. A series of chemical reactions deserves further investigation, especially with regard to elucidation of product channels, and overall oxidation mechanisms also need to be defined better. Future atmospheric studies that are desirable include study of basic NO₃ chemistry in the field to understand the influence of humidity on the conversion (probably on surfaces) of N₂O₅ to HNO₃, and thus on NO₃ concentrations. In addition, a study of the chemistry of NO₃ in the presence of volatile organic compounds and at elevated concentrations of the oxides of nitrogen should help in the understanding of, for example, polluted marine coasts, forests, and urban areas.     

Laboratory exposure systems to simulate atmospheric degradation of building stone under dry and wet deposition conditions

The design philosophy, construction and use of two exposure test systems are described, in which the objective is to simulate the degradation of stone samples under, respectively, the ‘dry’ and ‘wet’ deposition of atmospheric pollutants. Some element of realistic acceleration is possible in certain experiments. Particular emphasis is placed upon using known presentation rates of the pollutants, both in respect of typical depositions of pollutants and their oxidation products appropriate for an industrial atmosphere. In the dry deposition rig, SO₂, NO₂, NO, HCl and the oxidant O₃ are presented individually or together at realistic deposition rates. In the wet deposition apparatus, SO²⁻₄, NO⁻₃ and Cl⁻ at a pH of 3.5, simulating ‘acid rain’ but in a more concentrated form, are deposited. The dry deposition chamber can be operated at constant relative humidity (typically 84%) with pre-dried or precisely wetted stones to simulate episodic rain wetting, or using other methods of wet/dry cycling, which are also a feature of the wet deposition chamber. Heating and cooling of the samples is also possible, as is the use of shaped or coupled stones of different kinds such as are found in a building facade. The results are illustrated in terms of data on the weight change, the anion content of stone and run-off, the pH change of run-off and the total calcium reacted, using Portland stone, as a prelude to later papers in which behaviour of a whole matrix of stone types and environments is presented and discussed. Such an approach permits the eventual production of ‘pollutant-material response’ relationships and damage functions for comparison with and prediction of external exposure results.