Investigation of the effect of aerosol acidity, oxidant type, and nucleation on MBO- derived SOA composition and yield

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  • May 2, 2020
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  • Gopinathan, Vineet Raja
    • Affiliation: Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering
Abstract
  • Fine particulate matter (PM2.5, aerosol with aerodynamic diameters ≤ 2.5 μm) has been classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as an important air pollutant to mitigate due to its adverse impacts on human health, air quality and climate change. Prior research has shown that the atmospheric oxidation of 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol (232-MBO), a volatile organic compound (VOC) emitted from coniferous trees, leads to the formation of PM2.5 in the presence of anthropogenic pollutants. The goal of this honors thesis work was to resolve the exact chemical formation mechanisms of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) derived from MBO ozonolysis in the presence of acidic sulfate aerosol. SOA is a type of PM2.5 that is formed from the oxidation of volatile organic compounds such as MBO. Experiments were conducted in a 10- m3 Teflon smog chamber. SOA constituents were characterized at the molecular level by using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography/quadruopole timeof- flight mass spectrometry equipped with electrospray ionization (LC/(-)ESI-QTOFMS) in the negative ion mode. Furthermore, total organic peroxide content of the SOA was determined using an iodometeric spectroscopic method. Preliminary results indicate that the presence of acidic sulfate aerosol doubled the SOA mass loadings compared to less acidic sulfate aerosol. Characterization of the SOA at the molecular level revealed the formation 2-methylerythritol and 2-dihydroxyisopentanol, which might serve as potential tracer (marker) compounds for this type of SOA in PM2.5 collected from field studies. Analysis of peroxide content of select experiments showed that conditions that produced the highest concentration of peroxides were acidic seed in the presence of no OH scavenger.
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  • In Copyright
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  • Funding: None
Advisor
  • Surratt, Jason
Degree
  • Bachelor of Science in Public Health
Honors level
  • Honors
Degree granting institution
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Graduation year
  • 2016
Language
  • English
Extent
  • 28
Date uploaded
  • April 27, 2016

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