Aging of biogenic secondary organic aerosol via gas-phase OH radical reactions

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Aug 21;109(34):13503-8. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1115186109. Epub 2012 Aug 6.

Abstract

The Multiple Chamber Aerosol Chemical Aging Study (MUCHACHAS) tested the hypothesis that hydroxyl radical (OH) aging significantly increases the concentration of first-generation biogenic secondary organic aerosol (SOA). OH is the dominant atmospheric oxidant, and MUCHACHAS employed environmental chambers of very different designs, using multiple OH sources to explore a range of chemical conditions and potential sources of systematic error. We isolated the effect of OH aging, confirming our hypothesis while observing corresponding changes in SOA properties. The mass increases are consistent with an existing gap between global SOA sources and those predicted in models, and can be described by a mechanism suitable for implementation in those models.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aerosols / chemistry*
  • Atmosphere
  • Free Radicals
  • Hydroxyl Radical
  • Mass Spectrometry / methods
  • Models, Chemical
  • Organic Chemicals / chemistry*
  • Oxygen / chemistry
  • Ozone
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Solvents / chemistry
  • Ultraviolet Rays

Substances

  • Aerosols
  • Free Radicals
  • Organic Chemicals
  • Solvents
  • Hydroxyl Radical
  • Ozone
  • Oxygen