Impact of organic nitrates on urban ozone production
Urban O<sub>3</sub> is produced by photochemical chain reactions that amplify background O<sub>3</sub> in mixtures of gaseous nitrogen oxides (NO<sub>x</sub>) and organic molecules. Current thinking treats NO<...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2011-05-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/11/4085/2011/acp-11-4085-2011.pdf |
| _version_ | 1811270293523529728 |
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| author | D. K. Farmer A. E. Perring P. J. Wooldridge D. R. Blake A. Baker S. Meinardi L. G. Huey D. Tanner O. Vargas R. C. Cohen |
| author_facet | D. K. Farmer A. E. Perring P. J. Wooldridge D. R. Blake A. Baker S. Meinardi L. G. Huey D. Tanner O. Vargas R. C. Cohen |
| author_sort | D. K. Farmer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Urban O<sub>3</sub> is produced by photochemical chain reactions that amplify background O<sub>3</sub> in mixtures of gaseous nitrogen oxides (NO<sub>x</sub>) and organic molecules. Current thinking treats NO<sub>x</sub> and organics as independent variables that limit O<sub>3</sub> production depending on the NO<sub>x</sub> to organic ratio; in this paradigm, reducing organics either has no effect or reduces O<sub>3</sub>. We describe a theoretical counterexample where NO<sub>x</sub> and organics are strongly coupled and reducing organics increases O<sub>3</sub> production, and illustrate the example with observations from Mexico City. This effect arises from chain termination in the HO<sub>x</sub> and NO<sub>x</sub> cycles via organic nitrate production. We show that reductions in VOC reactivity that inadvertently reduce organic nitrate production rates will be counterproductive without concurrent reductions in NO<sub>x</sub> or other organics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T21:59:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4f3d576ff1814041bc52ba48cd6e6b15 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T21:59:08Z |
| publishDate | 2011-05-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-4f3d576ff1814041bc52ba48cd6e6b152022-12-22T03:15:12ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242011-05-011194085409410.5194/acp-11-4085-2011Impact of organic nitrates on urban ozone productionD. K. FarmerA. E. PerringP. J. WooldridgeD. R. BlakeA. BakerS. MeinardiL. G. HueyD. TannerO. VargasR. C. CohenUrban O<sub>3</sub> is produced by photochemical chain reactions that amplify background O<sub>3</sub> in mixtures of gaseous nitrogen oxides (NO<sub>x</sub>) and organic molecules. Current thinking treats NO<sub>x</sub> and organics as independent variables that limit O<sub>3</sub> production depending on the NO<sub>x</sub> to organic ratio; in this paradigm, reducing organics either has no effect or reduces O<sub>3</sub>. We describe a theoretical counterexample where NO<sub>x</sub> and organics are strongly coupled and reducing organics increases O<sub>3</sub> production, and illustrate the example with observations from Mexico City. This effect arises from chain termination in the HO<sub>x</sub> and NO<sub>x</sub> cycles via organic nitrate production. We show that reductions in VOC reactivity that inadvertently reduce organic nitrate production rates will be counterproductive without concurrent reductions in NO<sub>x</sub> or other organics.http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/11/4085/2011/acp-11-4085-2011.pdf |
| spellingShingle | D. K. Farmer A. E. Perring P. J. Wooldridge D. R. Blake A. Baker S. Meinardi L. G. Huey D. Tanner O. Vargas R. C. Cohen Impact of organic nitrates on urban ozone production Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | Impact of organic nitrates on urban ozone production |
| title_full | Impact of organic nitrates on urban ozone production |
| title_fullStr | Impact of organic nitrates on urban ozone production |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of organic nitrates on urban ozone production |
| title_short | Impact of organic nitrates on urban ozone production |
| title_sort | impact of organic nitrates on urban ozone production |
| url | http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/11/4085/2011/acp-11-4085-2011.pdf |
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