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Ethane-Based Chemical Amplification Measurement Technique for Atmospheric Peroxy Radicals
Journal article

Ethane-Based Chemical Amplification Measurement Technique for Atmospheric Peroxy Radicals

Ezra C. Wood, Benjamin L. Deming and Shuvashish Kundu
Environmental science & technology letters, v 4(1), pp 15-19
01 Jan 2017

Abstract

Engineering Engineering, Environmental Environmental Sciences Environmental Sciences & Ecology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Science & Technology Technology
Peroxy radicals play important roles in the atmospheric oxidation of organic compounds and the formation of ozone and secondary organic aerosol. There are few peroxy radical measurement techniques; the most common, chemical amplification using CO and NO, requires the use of toxic reagents, and its calibration factor is very sensitive to relative humidity. We present a new method for quantifying atmospheric peroxy radicals, ECHAMP (Ethane CHemical AMPlifier). Sampled air is mixed with NO and C2H6 (rather than CO), effecting a series of reactions that ultimately produces 25 molecules of NO2, per sampled peroxy radical under dry conditions. This "amplification" factor decreases to 17 at a relative humidity of 50%, yielding a 1 sigma precision for 90 s average measurements of 0.8-2.5 ppt depending on the atmospheric variability of ozone. We demonstrated the utility of the new technique with measurements in Bloomington, IN, in July 2015.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Engineering, Environmental
Environmental Sciences
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