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Organic nitrates (RONO 2) are secondary compounds, and their fate is related to the transport and removal of NO x in the atmosphere. While previous research studies have focused on the reactivity of these molecules in the gas phase, their reactivity in condensed phases remains poorly explored despite their ubiquitous presence in submicron aerosols. This work investigated for the first time the aqueous-phase photolysis-rate constants and quantum yields of four RONO 2 (isopropyl nitrate, isobutyl nitrate, α -nitrooxyacetone, and 1-nitrooxy-2-propanol). Our results showed much lower photolysis-rate constants for these RONO 2 in the aqueous phase than in the gas phase. From alkyl nitrates to polyfunctional RONO 2 , no significant increase of their aqueous-phase photolysis-rate constants was observed, even for RONO 2 with conjugated carbonyl groups, in contrast with the corresponding gas-phase photolysis reactions. Using these new results, extrapolated to other alkyl and polyfunctional RONO 2 , in combination with estimates for the other atmospheric sinks (hydrolysis, gas-phase photolysis, aqueous- and gas-phase ⚫OH oxidation, dry and wet deposition), multiphase atmospheric lifetimes were calculated for 45 atmospherically relevant RONO 2 along with the relative importance of each sink. Their lifetimes range from a few minutes to several hours depending on the RONO 2 chemical structure and its water solubility. In general, multiphase atmospheric lifetimes are lengthened when RONO 2 partition to the aqueous phase, especially for conjugated carbonyl nitrates for which lifetimes can increase by up to 100 %. Furthermore, our results show that aqueous-phase ⚫OH oxidation is a major sink for water-soluble RONO 2 (KH>105 M atm -1) ranging from 50 % to 70 % of their total sink at high liquid water content (LWC) (0.35 g m -3). These results highlight the importance of investigating the aqueous-phase RONO 2 reactivity to understand how it affects their ability to transport air pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic nitrates (RONO2) are secondary compounds, and their fate is related to the transport and removal of NOx in the atmosphere. While previous research studies have focused on the reactivity of these molecules in the gas phase, their reactivity in condensed phases remains poorly explored despite their ubiquitous presence in submicron aerosol. This work investigated for the first time the aqueous-phase photolysis rate constants and quantum yields of four RONO2 (isopropyl nitrate, isobutyl nitrate, α-nitrooxyacetone, and 1-nitrooxy-2-propanol). Our results showed much lower photolysis rate constants for these RONO2 in the aqueous phase than in the gas phase. From alkyl nitrates to polyfunctional RONO2, no significant increase of their aqueous-phase photolysis rate constants was observed, even for RONO2 with conjugated carbonyl groups, in contrast with the corresponding gas-phase photolysis reactions. Using these new results, extrapolated to other alkyl and polyfunctional RONO2, as well as other atmospheric sinks (hydrolysis, gas phase photolysis, aqueous and gas phase ·OH oxidation, dry and wet deposition) multiphase atmospheric lifetimes were calculated for 45 atmospherically relevant RONO2 along with the relative importance of each sink. Their lifetimes range from a few minutes to several hours depending on the RONO2 chemical structure and its water solubility. In general, multiphase atmospheric lifetimes are lengthened when RONO2 partition to the aqueous phase, especially for conjugated carbonyl nitrates for which lifetimes can increase up to 100 %. Furthermore, our results show that aqueous-phase ·OH oxidation is a major sink for water-soluble RONO2 (KH > 105 M atm–1) ranging from 50 to 70 % of their total sink at high LWC (0.35 g m–3). These results highlight the importance of investigating the aqueous-phase RONO2 reactivity to understand how it affects their ability to transport air pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonium sulfate (AS) particles are widely used for studying the physical-chemistry processes of aerosols and for instrument calibrations. Small quantities of organic matter can greatly influence the studied properties, as observed by many laboratory studies. In this work, monodisperse particles (from 200 nm to 500 nm) were generated by nebulizing various AS solutions and organic impurities were quantified relative to sulfate using a High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS). The organic content found in AS solutions was also tentatively identified using a Liquid Chromatography-tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS). The results from both analytical techniques were consistent and demonstrated that the organic impurities contained oxygen, nitrogen and/or sulfur, their molecular masses ranged from m/z 69 to 420, they likely originate from the commercial AS crystals. For AS particle sizes ranging from 200 nm to 500 nm, the total mass fraction of organic (relative to sulfate) ranged from 3.8 % to 1.5 % respectively. An inorganic- organic mixture model suggested that the organic impurities were coated on the AS particle surface with a density of 1.1 x 10-3 g m-2. A series of tests were performed to remove the organic content (using pure N2 in the flow, ultrapure water in the solutions, and very high AS quality), showing that at least 40 % of the organic impurities could be removed. In conclusion, it is recommended to use AS seeds with caution, especially when small particles are used, in terms of AS purity and water purity when aqueous solutions are used for atomization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic nitrates are secondary species in the atmosphere. Their fate is related to the chemical transport of pollutants from polluted areas to more distant zones. While their gas-phase chemistry has been studied, their reactivity in condensed phases is far from being understood. However, these compounds represent an important fraction of organic matter in condensed phases. In particular, their partition to the aqueous phase may be especially important for oxidized organic nitrates for which water solubility increases with functionalization. This work has studied for the first time the aqueous-phase ⚫OH-oxidation kinetics of four alkyl nitrates (isopropyl nitrate, isobutyl nitrate, 1-pentyl nitrate, and isopentyl nitrate) and three functionalized organic nitrates (α -nitrooxyacetone, 1-nitrooxy-2-propanol, and isosorbide 5-mononitrate) by developing a novel and accurate competition kinetic method. Low reactivity was observed, with kOH ranging from 8×107 to 3.1×109 L mol -1 s -1 at 296±2 K. Using these results, a previously developed aqueous-phase structure–activity relationship (SAR) was extended, and the resulting parameters confirmed the extreme deactivating effect of the nitrate group, up to two adjacent carbon atoms. The achieved extended SAR was then used to determine the ⚫OH-oxidation rate constants of 49 organic nitrates, including hydroxy nitrates, ketonitrates, aldehyde nitrates, nitrooxy carboxylic acids, and more functionalized organic nitrates such as isoprene and terpene nitrates. Their multiphase atmospheric lifetimes towards ⚫OH oxidation were calculated using these rate constants, and they were compared to their gas-phase lifetimes. Large differences were observed, especially for polyfunctional organic nitrates: for 50 % of the proposed organic nitrates for which the ⚫OH reaction occurs mainly in the aqueous phase (more than 50 % of the overall removal), their ⚫OH-oxidation lifetimes increased by 20 % to 155 % under cloud/fog conditions (liquid water content LWC = 0.35 g m -3). In particular, for 83 % of the proposed terpene nitrates, the reactivity towards ⚫OH occurred mostly (>98 %) in the aqueous phase, while for 60 % of these terpene nitrates, their lifetimes increased by 25 % to 140 % compared to their gas-phase reactivity. We demonstrate that these effects are of importance under cloud/fog conditions but also under wet aerosol conditions, especially for the terpene nitrates. These results suggest that considering aqueous-phase ⚫OH-oxidation reactivity of biogenic nitrates is necessary to improve the predictions of their atmospheric fate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to gain understanding on the vertical structure of atmospheric water vapour above mountain lakes and to assess the respective influence of evaporation and advection processes, the L-WAIVE (Lacustrine-Water vApor Isotope inVentory Experiment) field campaign was conducted in the Annecy valley in the French Alps in June 2019. This campaign was based on a synergy between a suite of ground-based, boat-borne, and airborne measuring platforms implemented to characterise the thermodynamic and isotopic state above the lake environment using both in-situ and remote sensing instruments. Two ultra-light aircrafts (ULA), one equipped with a Rayleigh-Mie lidar, solar fluxmeters and an optical counter, and one equipped with a Cavity Ring-down Spectrometer (CRDS) and an in-cloud liquid water collector, were deployed to characterize the vertical distribution of the main stable water vapour isotopes (H216O, H218O and H2H16O), and their potential interactions with clouds and aerosols. ULA flight patterns were repeated several times per day to capture the diurnal evolution as well as variability associated with different weather events. ULA flights were anchored to continuous water vapour and wind profiling of the lower troposphere performed by two dedicated ground-based lidars. Additional flights have been conducted to map the spatial variability of the water vapour isotope composition regarding the lake and surrounding topography. Throughout the campaign, ship-borne lake temperature profiles as well as liquid water samples at the air-water interface and at 2 m depth were made, supplemented on one occasion by atmospheric water vapour isotope measurements from the ship. The campaign period included a variety of weather events leading to contrasting humidity and cloud conditions, slope wind regimes and aerosol contents in the valley. The water vapor mixing ratio values in the valley atmospheric boundary layer were found to range from 3–4 g kg−1 to more than 10 g kg−1 and to be strongly influenced by the subsidence of higher altitude air masses as well as slope winds. A significant variability of the isotopic composition was observed within the first 3 km above ground level. The influence of the lake evaporation was mainly detected in the first 500 m of the atmosphere. Well-mixed conditions prevailed in the lower free troposphere, mainly above the mean altitude of the mountain tops surrounding the lake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic nitrates are secondary species in the atmosphere. Their fate is related to the chemical transport of pollutants from polluted areas to more distant zones. While their gas-phase chemistry has been studied, their reactivity in condensed phases is far from being understood. However, these compounds represent an important fraction of organic matter in condensed phases. In particular, their partition to the aqueous-phase may be especially important for oxidized organic nitrates for which water solubility increase with functionalization. This work has studied for the first time the aqueous-phase ·OH-oxidation kinetics of 5 alkyl nitrates (isopropyl nitrate, isobutyl nitrate, 1-pentyl nitrate, isopentyl nitrate and 2-ethylhexyl nitrate) and 3 functionalized organic nitrates (α-nitrooxyacetone, 1-nitrooxy-2-propanol and isosorbide 5-mononitrate) by developing a novel and accurate competition kinetic method. Low reactivity was confirmed, with kOH (at 296 ± 2 K) ranging from 8·107 to 2.5·109 L mol-1 s-1. Using these results, the previously developed aqueous-phase Structure Activity Relationship (SAR) was extended, and the resulting parameters confirmed the extreme deactivating effect of the nitrate group, up to two adjacent carbon atoms. The achieved extended SAR was then used to determine the ·OH-oxidation rate constants of 49 organic nitrates, including hydroxy nitrates, ketonitrates, aldehyde nitrates, nitrooxy carboxylic acids and more functionalized organic nitrates such as isoprene and terpene nitrates. Their multiphase atmospheric lifetimes towards ·OH-oxidation were calculated using these rate constants, and compared to their gas-phase lifetimes. Large differences were observed, especially for polyfunctional organic nitrates: for 50 % of the proposed organic nitrates for which ·OH-reaction occurs mainly in the aqueous-phase (more than 50 % of the overall removal) their ·OH-oxidation lifetimes increased by 20 % to 155 % under cloud/fog conditions (LWC = 0.35 g m-3). In particular, for 83 % of the proposed terpene nitrates, the reactivity towards ·OH occurred mostly (> 98 %) in the aqueous-phase while for 60 % of these terpene nitrates their lifetimes increased by 25 % to 140 % compared to their gas-phase reactivity. We demonstrate that these effects are of importance under cloud/fog conditions, but also under wet aerosol conditions, especially for the terpene nitrates. These results suggest that taking into account aqueous-phase ·OH-oxidation reactivity of biogenic nitrates is necessary to improve the predictions of their atmospheric fate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organochlorinated pesticides are highly persistent organic pollutants having important adverse effects in the environment. To study their fate, compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) may be used to investigate their degradation pathways and mechanisms but is currently limited to 13C isotope ratios. The assessment of 37Cl isotope ratios from mass spectra is complicated by the large number of isotopologues of polychlorinated compounds. For method development, chlordecone (C10Cl10O2H2; hydrate form), an organochlorine insecticide that led to severe contamination of soils and aquatic ecosystems of the French West Indies, was taken as a model analyte. Chlorine isotope analysis of chlordecone hydrate was evaluated using high-resolution liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS), enabling smooth ionization to detect the molecular ion. First, a new evaluation scheme is presented to correct for multiple isotope presence in polychlorinated compounds. The scheme is based on probability calculations of the most frequent isotopologues, distributions by binomial probability functions, and corrections for the presence of nonchlorine heavy isotopes. Second, mobile-phase modifiers, ionization energy (sampling cone tension) and scan time were optimized for accurate chlorine isotope ratios. Chlordecone standard samples were measured up to 10-fold and bracketed with a second chlordecone external standard. δ37Cl values were obtained after conversion to the SMOC scale by a two-point calibration. The robustness of the analysis method and evaluation scheme were tested and gave satisfactory results with standard errors (σm) of ±0.34‰ for precision and ±0.89‰ for long-term accuracy of chlorine isotope ratios of chlordecone hydrate. This work opens perspectives for applications of the C-Cl CSIA approach to investigate the fate of highly toxic and low reactive polychlorinated compounds in the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]