Characterization and quantification of isoprene-derived epoxydiols in ambient aerosol in the southeastern United States.

Isoprene-derived epoxydiols (IEPOX) are identified in ambient aerosol samples for the first time, together with other previously identified isoprene tracers (i.e., 2-methyltetrols, 2-methylglyceric acid, C(5)-alkenetriols, and organosulfate derivatives of 2-methyltetrols). Fine ambient aerosol collected in downtown Atlanta, GA and rural Yorkville, GA during the 2008 August Mini-Intensive Gas and Aerosol Study (AMIGAS) was analyzed using both gas chromatography/quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC/TOFMS) with prior trimethylsilylation. Mass concentrations of IEPOX ranged from approximately 1 to 24 ng m(-3) in the aerosol collected from the two sites. Detection of particle-phase IEPOX in the AMIGAS samples supports recent laboratory results that gas-phase IEPOX produced from the photooxidation of isoprene under low-NO(x) conditions is a key precursor of ambient isoprene secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. On average, the sum of the mass concentrations of IEPOX and the measured isoprene SOA tracers accounted for about 3% of the organic carbon, demonstrating the significance of isoprene oxidation to the formation of ambient aerosol in this region.

Assessment of Nontailpipe Hydrocarbon Emissions from Motor Vehicles.

This report evaluates tailpipe and nontailpipe hydrocarbon (HC) emissions from light-duty spark-ignition (SI) vehicles. The sources of information were unpublished data sets, generated mainly from 1990 through 1994, on emissions from volunteer fleets of in-use vehicles in chassis dynamometer and sealed housing for evaporative determination tests, and published chemical mass balance (CMB) source apportionments of HC in roadway tunnels and in urban air. The nontailpipe emissions evaluated comprise running-loss, hot soak, diurnal emissions, and resting-loss emissions. Relations between pressure and purge test failures and actual nontailpipe emissions were also examined.

Historic PM2.5/PM10 Concentrations in the Southeastern United States-Potential Implications of the Revised Particulate Matter Standard.

This report summarizes a PM2.5/PM10 particulate matter data set consisting of 861 PM2.5/PM10 sample pairs collected with dichotomous samplers by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) from 1982 to 1991. Eight monitoring stations, ranging from urban-industrial to rural-background, were operated across three east-central U.S. states. Annual average PM2.5 concentrations ranged from 12.6 to 21.3 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3), with an overall mean of 15.7 µg/m3. Likewise, annual average PM10 concentrations ranged from 17.8 to 33.7 µg/m3, with an overall mean of 23.7 µg/m3. High summer-low winter seasonality was evident, particularly for PM2.5, with the highest monthly PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations in August (26.4 and 37.5 µg/m3, respectively) and the lowest in February (9.9 and 15.3 µg/m3, respectively). A strong association (r2 = 0.84) was found between PM and PM mass with PM mass contributing, on average, 67% of PM10 mass. Applying TVA's PM2 5/PM10 ratio to recent (1993-1995) regional high-volume PM10 Aerometric Information Retrieval System (AIRS) data for the east-central United States suggests that as many as 80% of monitored counties would have equaled or exceeded the level of the new annual PM2.5 metric of 15 µg/m3. A decline in average PM2.5 mass on the order of 3-5 µg/m3 from 1982 through 1991 is also suggested. Daily PM2 5 mass appears to be reasonably well associated (r = 0.47) with maximum hourly ozone during the warmer months (spring through fall). Sulfate compounds comprise a major portion of the measured PM2 5 mass, with that fraction being highest in the summer months. Viewed collectively, these data suggest that although compliance with the annual and 24-hr PM and 24-hr PM metrics should prove readily attainable, the annual PM2.5 metric will present a major regulatory management challenge for much of the east-central United States.