Effects of Nitrogen Oxides on the Production of Reactive Oxygen Species and Environmentally Persistent Free Radicals from α-Pinene and Naphthalene Secondary Organic Aerosols.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFR) play an important role in chemical transformation of atmospheric aerosols and adverse aerosol health effects. This study investigated the effects of nitrogen oxides (NOx) during photooxidation of α-pinene and naphthalene on the EPFR content and ROS formation from secondary organic aerosols (SOA). Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy was applied to quantify EPFR content and ROS formation. While no EPFR were detected in α-pinene SOA, we found that naphthalene SOA contained about 0.7 pmol µg-1 of EPFR, and NOx has little influence on EPFR concentrations and oxidative potential. α-Pinene and naphthalene SOA generated under low NOx conditions form OH radicals and superoxide in the aqueous phase, which was lowered substantially by 50-80% for SOA generated under high NOx conditions. High-resolution mass spectrometry analysis showed the substantial formation of nitroaromatics and organic nitrates in a high NOx environment. The modeling results using the GECKO-A model that simulates explicit gas-phase chemistry and the radical 2D-VBS model that treats autoxidation predicted reduced formation of hydroperoxides and enhanced formation of organic nitrates under high NOx due to the reactions of peroxy radicals with NOx instead of their reactions with HO2. Consistently, the presence of NOx resulted in the decrease of peroxide contents and oxidative potential of α-pinene SOA.

Formation and evolution of molecular products in α-pinene secondary organic aerosol.

Much of our understanding of atmospheric secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from volatile organic compounds derives from laboratory chamber measurements, including mass yield and elemental composition. These measurements alone are insufficient to identify the chemical mechanisms of SOA production. We present here a comprehensive dataset on the molecular identity, abundance, and kinetics of α-pinene SOA, a canonical system that has received much attention owing to its importance as an organic aerosol source in the pristine atmosphere. Identified organic species account for ∼58-72% of the α-pinene SOA mass, and are characterized as semivolatile/low-volatility monomers and extremely low volatility dimers, which exhibit comparable oxidation states yet different functionalities. Features of the α-pinene SOA formation process are revealed for the first time, to our knowledge, from the dynamics of individual particle-phase components. Although monomeric products dominate the overall aerosol mass, rapid production of dimers plays a key role in initiating particle growth. Continuous production of monomers is observed after the parent α-pinene is consumed, which cannot be explained solely by gas-phase photochemical production. Additionally, distinct responses of monomers and dimers to α-pinene oxidation by ozone vs. hydroxyl radicals, temperature, and relative humidity are observed. Gas-phase radical combination reactions together with condensed phase rearrangement of labile molecules potentially explain the newly characterized SOA features, thereby opening up further avenues for understanding formation and evolution mechanisms of α-pinene SOA.

Modeling the influence of alkane molecular structure on secondary organic aerosol formation.

Secondary Organic Aerosols (SOA) production and ageing is a multigenerational oxidation process involving the formation of successive organic compounds with higher oxidation degree and lower vapor pressure. Intermediate Volatility Organic Compounds (IVOC) emitted to the atmosphere are expected to be a substantial source of SOA. These emitted IVOC constitute a complex mixture including linear, branched and cyclic alkanes. The explicit gas-phase oxidation mechanisms are here generated for various linear and branched C10-C22 alkanes using the GECKO-A (Generator for Explicit Chemistry and Kinetics of Organics in the Atmosphere) and SOA formation is investigated for various homologous series. Simulation results show that both the size and the branching of the carbon skeleton are dominant factors driving the SOA yield. However, branching appears to be of secondary importance for the particle oxidation state and composition. The effect of alkane molecular structure on SOA yields appears to be consistent with recent laboratory observations. The simulated SOA composition shows, however, an unexpected major contribution from multifunctional organic nitrates. Most SOA contributors simulated for the oxidation of the various homologous series are far too reduced to be categorized as highly oxygenated organic aerosols (OOA). On a carbon basis, the OOA yields never exceeded 10% regardless of carbon chain length, molecular structure or ageing time. This version of the model appears clearly unable to explain a large production of OOA from alkane precursors.