The vertical distribution of aerosols and acid related compounds in air and cloudwater

Vertical profiles (surface to 5 km) of aerosol particle number concentration, NO_y′ mixing ratio, and cloudwater SO₄²⁻ and NO₃⁻ equivalent concentration were obtained in three field studies: North Bay, Ontario, during the summer of 1982 and the winter of 1983–1984, and Syracuse, New York, during the fall of 1984. The measurements from these locations and different seasons are compared. Generally, airborne concentrations are highest with air-mass back trajectories from the south and lowest with back trajectories from the north. For the southerly trajectories, median particle number concentrations (0.2–2 μm) near ground level (950 mb) vary from 1700 cm⁻³ during the summer project to 800 cm⁻³ during the winter project. At 700 mb, the south trajectory particle number concentration ranged between 60 and 170 cm⁻³. Median NO_y′ mixing ratios for southerly back trajectories were approximately 6 and 9 ppb at 950 mb and 0.4 and 0.8 ppb at 700 mb for the fall and winter projects, respectively. Comparison of particle number concentration profiles outside of cloud with cloud droplet plus interstitial aerosol particle number concentrations inside cloud indicate that cumulus clouds can transport aerosols vertically from below cloud base. In contrast, stratiform clouds have similar concentrations inside the clouds as outside at the same altitude. The vertical variations of cloudwater sulphate and nitrate concentrations and the NO₃⁻/SO₄²⁻ equivalent concentration ratio are discussed for each of the three field studies.     

Sulfur dioxide,hydrogen sulfide,total reduced sulfur,chlorinated hydrocarbons and photochemical oxidants in southern California museums

Indoor and outdoor concentrations of the air pollutants ozone, NO₂, SO₂, H₂S, total reduced sulfur (TRS), peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), methyl chloroform and tetrachloroethylene, have been measured at three southern California museums. Indoor maxima were 175 ppb for NO₂, 77 ppb for O₃, 0.7 ppb for PAN, 1.2 ppb for C₂Cl₄, >6.3 ppb for CH₃CCl₃, 2.5 ppb for SO₂, 1.4 ppb for TRS, and 46 ppt for H₂S. Indoor levels and indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratios for the chlorinated hydrocarbons pointed out to indoor sources. Outdoor and indoor levels of SO₂ and TRS were low at all three museums, but I/O ratios for SO₂ were high and averaged 0.89. H₂S concentrations were low, 16–46 ppt at one museum and less than 6 ppt at the other two museums. I/O ratios for the air pollutants with outdoor sources (ozone, PAN and NO₂) showed substantial variations, from low values of 0.02–0.33 at locations without influx of outdoor air to high values of 0.85–0.88 at locations experiencing high influx of outdoor air. Of the 10 institutions we have surveyed in southern California to date, eight exhibit high I/O ratios, e.g. 0.60–1.00 for PAN. Of the four museums surveyed that were equipped with HVAC and chemical filtration, only two yielded the expected low I/O ratios.     

Urban NO2 concentrations in the U.K. in 1987

A mational air quality monitoring network has been established in the U.K. by Warren Spring Laboratory, on behalf of the U.K. Department of the Environment, to determine compliance with the European Community Directive for nitrogen dioxide. Data from the six network sites for 1987 are presented and analysed.No site in the U.K. breached the NO₂ Directive Limit Value during this year, though the closest approaches were at the two London stations. Annual average NO₂ concentrations, which varied from 23 to 39 ppb, were consistent with the top five percentile of long-term measurements from a national survey of over 360 U.K. urban areas carried out in 1986.The temporal variability of NO₂ concentrations was substantially lower over all time scales than that for NO: winter/summer ratios for all sites averaged 2.9 for NO and 1.3 for NO₂. Most sites showed strong diurnal variations for NO which were primarily influenced by traffic emissions during rush hours, although these variations were less marked for NO₂.A markedly non-proportional relationship between annual and daily average NO₂ and NO_x levels was observed, and this has important implications for its efficacy of possible NO_x emission control strategies. An analysis of measured NO₂/NO_x ratios over weekends and weekday periods demonstrates, for instance, that a 20% emission cutback may result, typically, in a corresponding NO₂ reduction of 12% at urban locations in the U.K. NO_x reductions, however, exert a more proportional effect on NO₂ concentrations at kerbside and rural locations.     

Nitrous and nitric acid measurements at sites in South-East England

Measurements of HONO and HNO₃ have been made using annular denuder samplers at sites in south-east England. Whilst concentrations of HNO₃ exhibited a diurnal variation, with a maximum in mid-afternoon nitrous acid shows the opposite diurnal cycle with maximum levels at night due to daytime photolysis. Concentrations of HONO increase with those of NO₂, and elevated nighttime HONO level appear to be followed by high levels of HNO₃ the following day. Average concentrations of HONO (0.45± 0.26 ppb in 24 h samples are comparable to those of HNO₃ (0.56±0.36 ppb in 24 h samples), each representing about 5–10% of the concentration of NO₂. Although NO₂ oxidation provides the source of HNO₃ concentrations of the two compounds are not related, presumably since the formation of NH₄NO₃ aerosol limits HNO₃ concentrations at out site.     

京津冀与长三角区域大气NO2污染特征

基于地面监测及遥感反演数据,研究了京津冀与长三角区域大气NO2污染特征,并进行了对比分析.从2005～2011年的平均近地面质量浓度和垂直柱浓度来看,京津冀与长三角中心城市大气NO2基本处于同一污染水平;其区域背景站的NO2浓度也差异不大,且与两大区域过渡地带的合肥市大致相同.区域NO2高浓度中心夏季较为分散,秋冬季高浓度范围明显扩大,冬季全部连为一片.近年来随着中心城区污染企业的外迁,北京、上海等城市核心区NO2近地面污染有所缓解,但区域背景站NO2近地面浓度和垂直柱浓度都有所升高,京津冀与长三角NO2整体污染水平形势依旧严峻.从区域分布看,北京、上海等城市NO2浓度较高,NO2柱浓度高出区域背景的50%左右,大约是欧亚大陆背景水平的3倍;近地面NO2浓度地域差异更大,北京、上海等中心城市NO2近地面质量浓度是城市清洁区的2倍,是区域背景的10倍以上,达欧亚大陆背景站瓦里关的上千倍.北京奥运及上海世博等大型活动之前及期间大气污染集中整治效果较为明显,但活动结束后,城市大气NO2污染都出现反弹.结果表明,区域空气质量的持续改善需要区域内各省市常抓不懈的联防联控,仅靠短期内运动式的污染治理难以从根本上解决大气环境问题.     

Seasonal,diurnal and nocturnal variations of carbonyl compounds in the semi-urban environment of Orléans,France

Atmospheric carbonyls were measured at a semi-urban site in Orléans, France, from October 2010to July2011. Formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and acetone were found to be the most abundant carbonyls, with average concentrations of 3.1, 1.0, 2.0 ppb, respectively in summer, 2.3, 0.7, 2.2 ppb, respectively in autumn, 2.2, 1.0, 2.1 ppb, respectively in spring,and 1.5, 0.7, 1.1 ppb, respectively in winter. Photo-oxidation of volatile organic compounds(VOCs) was found to make a remarkable contribution to atmospheric carbonyls in the semi-urban site based on the distinct seasonal and diurnal variations of the carbonyls, as well as the significantly positive correlations between the carbonyls and ozone. The significantly negative correlations between NO x and O_3 as well as the carbonyls and the positive correlations between wind speed and O_3 as well as the carbonyls implied that the carbonyls and O_3 at the semi-urban site were probably formed during air mass transport from neighboring cities.     

Spatial and temporal patterns in nitrogen dioxide concentrations in a hot desert region

This paper reports seasonal and spatial variations in the ambient air concentration of nitrogen dioxide throughout the State of Bahrain, from February to December 1992. Monitoring sites were chosen to include urban areas with high traffic density, suburban areas with low traffic density, commercial and industrial areas. Correlations between meteorological parameters and mean NO₂ concentrations were analysed, and NO₂ levels were only significantly correlated with temperature (r = 0.63). Only February, a winter month, showed a significantly lower concentration of NO₂ with an overall mean value of 23 μgm⁻³, whereas in August, a summer month, it was 33 μgm⁻³. The results revealed that in a hot region like Bahrain, NO₂ concentrations do not show significant monthly variations. Also summer-averaged NO₂ values exceeded corresponding spring and winter values. In cold regions opposite patterns were observed. Moreover, the results revealed significant spatial variations in NO₂ concentrations. In suburban areas with low traffic density, the overall mean NO₂ level was 15, with a range of 12–17 μg m⁻³, while in urban areas with high traffic density, the overall mean value was 52 with a range of 44–60 μg m⁻³. The mean NO₂ value in industrial sites with low traffic density was 21 with a range of 14–27 μg m⁻³, whereas in the same areas near major roads, it was 32 with a range of 31–32 μg m⁻³. These results indicate that automobiles exhaust are the dominant source of NO₂ in Bahrain. The highest NO₂ levels were found in roads with high traffic density, which are narrow, with several traffic lights and roundabouts, suggesting the effect of road geometry on NO₂ levels.     

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.     

Nitrogenous air pollutants at a southern California mountain forest smog receptor site

Ambient levels of the nitrogenous pollutants NO, NO₂, nitric acid, nitrous acid, ammonia, particulate nitrate, particulate ammonium, peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) and peroxypropionyl nitrate (PPN) have been measured at a southern California mountain forest location severely impacted by urban photochemical smog. Air quality at the mountain forest location was characterized by high levels of nitric acid (up to 18 ppb) and the phytotoxic peroxyacyl nitrates PAN (up to 22 ppb) and PPN (up to 5 ppb). Alkyl nitrates were below our detection limits of 0.05–0.5 ppb. The (PAN + PPN)/NO₂ ratios varied substantially (range 0.03–2.27) and were generally large, with typical 24-h averages of 0.19–0.50. Diurnal variations of the (PAN/PPN)/NO₂ ratio exhibited both nighttime and daytime maxima reflecting diurnal variations in PAN (and PPN) thermal stability and photochemical production rates, respectively. Organic nitrogen-containing oxidation products (PAN + PPN) were more abundant than inorganic nitrate (HNO₃ + NO₃⁻), with an average organic/inorganic concentration ratio of 2.5 (daytime ratio 1.0; nighttime ratio 3.7). The four oxidation products PAN, PPN, HNO₃ and NO₃⁻ together accounted for 0.26 of the total reactive nitrogen. The results are discussed with respect to diurnal and seasonal variations and in terms of NO₂ atmospheric oxidation pathways. Deposition fluxes and velocities to ponderosa pine have been measured for inorganic nitrate and for ammonium and have been compared with those obtained at other mountain forest locations.     

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.     

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.     

Classification of residential exposure to nitrogen dioxide

In epidemiological studies of indoor nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) reported to date, only a limited number of measurements were made to estimate personal exposures. The accuracy of exposure estimates depends on the measurement error inherent in the samplers and in the sampling scheme. If categorical measures of exposure are used, the consequences of measurement error vary with classification rules. The effects of alternative measurement strategies on exposure classification were evaluated using NO₂ diffusion sampler measurements from 653 residences with gas cooking ranges. A time-series of consecutive 2-week integrated measurements was obtained for each home. During the winter season, the standard deviation was 26% of the mean. The probability of misclassification, a function of the mean and the standard deviation per home, was examined for three concentration classes (<25, 25–50, ⩾50 ppb). The average probability of misclassification was 10% for three 2-week integrated measurements across the winter and decreased to under 5% for continuous sampling (i.e. 13 consecutive 2-week samples). The sensitivity and predictive value were improved by increasing the number of samples obtained. The misclassification is determined by the number of concentration classes and by the relationship of class boundaries to the distribution of true means.     

北京大气中NO、NO2和O3浓度变化的相关性分析

臭氧（O₃）是城市污染大气中的首要光化学污染物,其变化规律与氮氧化物(NO_x=NO+NO₂)关系密切.采用49C臭氧分析仪和42CTL氮氧化物分析仪对北京城区O₃和NO_x浓度进行了连续观测,时间为2004-08～2005-07.结果显示,O₃和OX（O₃+NO₂）浓度在午后15:00左右出现峰值,NO_x呈双峰态日变化,在07:00和23:00左右出现峰值.不同季节污染物的浓度变化存在差异,O₃和NO_x浓度分别在夏季和冬季达到最大.NO_x浓度存在100×10^-9(体积分数)的“分界点”,NO_x低浓度时以NO₂为主,NO_x高浓度时NO占大部分.OX区域贡献和局地贡献存在明显的季节变化,前者主要受区域背景O₃的影响,在春季最大,后者主要受局地NO_x光化学反应的制约,在夏季最强,同时OX组分呈现显著的昼夜差异.     

Numerical evaluation of the effectiveness of NO2 and N2O5 generation during the NO ozonation process

Wet scrubbing combined with ozone oxidation has become a promising technology for simultaneous removal of SO₂ and NO_x in exhaust gas. In this paper, a new 20-species, 76-step detailed kinetic mechanism was proposed between O₃ and NO_x. The concentration of N₂O₅ was measured using an in-situ IR spectrometer. The numerical evaluation results kept good pace with both the public experiment results and our experiment results. Key reaction parameters for the generation of NO₂ and N₂O₅ during the NO ozonation process were investigated by a numerical simulation method. The effect of temperature on producing NO₂ was found to be negligible. To produce NO₂, the optimal residence time was 1.25 sec and the molar ratio of O₃/NO about 1. For the generation of N₂O₅, the residence time should be about 8 sec while the temperature of the exhaust gas should be strictly controlled and the molar ratio of O₃/NO about 1.75. This study provided detailed investigations on the reaction parameters of ozonation of NO_x by a numerical simulation method, and the results obtained should be helpful for the design and optimization of ozone oxidation combined with the wet flue gas desulfurization methods (WFGD) method for the removal of NO_x.     

Aerosol effects on ozone concentrations in Beijing: A model sensitivity study

Most previous O₃ simulations were based only on gaseous phase photochemistry. However, some aerosol-related processes, namely, heterogeneous reactions occurring on the aerosol surface and photolysis rate alternated by aerosol radiative influence, may affect O₃ photochemistry under high aerosol loads. A three-dimensional air quality model, Models-3/Community Multi-scale Air Quality-Model of Aerosol Dynamics, Reaction, Ionization, and Dissolution, was employed to simulate the effects of the above-mentioned processes on O₃ formation under typical high O₃ episodes in Beijing during summer. Five heterogeneous reactions, i.e., NO₂, NO₃, N₂O₅, HO₂, and O₃, were individually investigated to elucidate their effects on O₃ formation. The results showed that the heterogeneous reactions significantly affected O₃ formation in the urban plume. NO₂ heterogeneous reaction increased O₃ to 90 ppb, while HO₂ heterogeneous reaction decreased O₃ to 33 ppb. In addition, O₃ heterogeneous loss decreased O₃ to 31 ppb. The effects of NO₂, NO₃, and N₂O₅ heterogeneous reactions showed opposite O₃ concentration changes between the urban and extra-urban areas because of the response of the reactions to the two types of O₃ formation regimes. When the aerosol radiative influence was included, the photolysis rate decreased and O₃ decreased significantly to 73 ppb O₃. The two aerosol-related processes should be considered in the study of O₃ formation because high aerosol concentration is a ubiquitous phenomenon that affects the urban- and regional air quality in China.     

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.     

A captive-air irradiation study of the response of nitric acid and peroxyacetyl nitrate to ozone control strategies in Los Angeles

Outdoor smog chamber experiments were used to study the sensitivity of the yields of two important nitrogen-containing pollutants, nitric acid (HNO₃) and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) to changes in nonmethane hydrocarbon (HC) and nitrogen oxide (NO_x) concentrations in Los Angeles. The experiments were conducted at two sites in the Los Angeles Basin using eight chambers filled with morning Los Angeles air on 33 days. At least one chamber was unchanged and served as a control, while the initial HC and/or NO_x concentrations were changed by 25–50% in up to seven chambers to simulate O₃ control strategies and to broaden the range of HC - NO_x conditions studied. Empirical models that predict the maximum yields of HNO₃ and PAN were used to determine the response of these pollutants to three possible ozone control strategies. All three strategies (reductions in HC, NO_x or both HC and NO_x) reduced PAN while only NO_x reductions decreased HNO₃. However, reducing NO_x increased the HC reductions required to attain lower O₃ levels. Thus, there is a conflict between the O₃ and HNO₃ control strategies.     

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.     

稻田气溶胶NH3和气体NOx排放在线测定研究

气溶胶NH3和气体NOx是大气颗粒物和降水的主要成分,是形成气溶胶的关键物种.田间集约化氮肥施用是气溶胶NH3和气体NOx的一个重要来源,目前该领域的研究鲜有报道.2010年5月～2010年10月,在线监测了稻田施用尿素后气溶胶NH3和气体NOx的排放情况.监测系统的时间分辨率设置为1 h.在4次稻田施肥试验中,施肥后对气溶胶NH3排放和相应的气象因子连续采样20 d.在第4次施肥试验中,施肥后连续采样47 d,进而研究气体NOx的排放规律及其与气象因子的关系.结果表明,气溶胶NH3的排放因子分别为2.6%、5.5%、4.0%和1.6%,相应的排放通量分别为3.97、2.08、1.52和1.22 kg·hm-2.温度(空气温度和土壤温度)是影响稻田施肥气溶胶NH3排放的主要因子,而空气湿度和土壤水分对其排放的影响却不明确.通过分析监测数据可知,稻田施肥后NO2-N排放量与NO-N排放量的比值为9/4,气体NOx的排放因子和排放通量分别为0.14%和0.30 kg·hm-2.气象因子与气体NOx排放通量的关系也进行了初步探讨.     

近10年海南岛大气NO2的时空变化及污染物来源解析

利用OMI卫星反演的NO2柱浓度数据,分析了近10年海南岛对流层NO2柱浓度(Tro NO2)和总NO2柱浓度(Tot NO2)的时空变化,同时结合地面风向、SO2排放资料,以及HYSPLIT模式等探究其大气污染物来源.结果表明,海南岛地区大气NO2呈北半部高于南半部、中部山区低于四周沿海的分布特征,其季节变化表现为冬季高、夏季低的特点,其中夏季浓度偏低和雨水的冲刷作用有关,而冬季浓度偏高与珠江三角洲地区的外源输送作用有密切联系.近10年海南岛大气NO2冬夏季有相反的变化趋势,冬季逐年下降,夏季则有弱的上升趋势.其原因可能是夏季大气污染物以本地排放为主,冬季外源输送起主要贡献作用.海口市Tro NO2与珠江三角洲地区的有利风向日数相关系数为0.84,通过了99%的信度检验.后向轨迹分析表明,2013年12月影响海口市的3条气流移动路径,均不同程度的经过珠江三角洲地区,进一步表明海南岛冬季大气污染物主要以珠江三角洲地区的外源输送为主.