Numerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exist in Earth's atmosphere, most of which originate from biogenic emissions. Despite VOCs' critical role in tropospheric chemistry, studies for evaluating their atmosphere-ecosystem exchange (emission and deposition) have been limited to a few dominant compounds owing to a lack of appropriate measurement techniques. Using a high-mass resolution proton transfer reaction-time of flight-mass spectrometer and an absolute value eddy-covariance method, we directly measured 186 organic ions with net deposition, and 494 that have bidirectional flux. This observation of active atmosphere-ecosystem exchange of the vast majority of detected VOCs poses a challenge to current emission, air quality, and global climate models, which do not account for this extremely large range of compounds. This observation also provides new insight for understanding the atmospheric VOC budget.
During the CalNex study (15 May to 16 June 2010) a large suite of instruments was operated at the Los Angeles area ground supersite to characterize the sources and atmospheric processing of atmospheric pollution. The thermal-desorption proton-transfer-reaction mass-spectrometer (TD-PTR-MS) was deployed to an urban area for the first time and detected 691 organic ions in aerosol samples, the mean total concentration of which was estimated as 3.3 μg m−3. Based on comparison to total organic aerosol (OA) measurements, we estimate that approximately 50% of the OA mass at this site was directly measured by the TD-PTR-MS. Based on correlations with aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) OA components, the ions were grouped to represent hydrocarbon-like OA (HOA), local OA (LOA), semi-volatile oxygenated OA (SV-OOA), and low volatility oxygenated OA (LV-OOA). Mass spectra and thermograms of the ion groups are mostly consistent with the assumed sources and/or photochemical origin of the OA components. The mass spectra of ions representing the primary components HOA and LOA included the highest m/z, consistent with their higher resistance to thermal decomposition, and they were volatilized at lower temperatures (~ 150 °C). Photochemical ageing weakens C-C bond strengths (also resulting in chemical fragmentation), and produces species of lower volatility (through the addition of functional groups). Accordingly the mass spectra of ions representing the oxidized OA components (SV-OOA, and LV-OOA) lack the highest masses and they are volatilized at higher temperatures (250–300 °C). Chemical parameters like mean carbon number (nC), mean carbon oxidation state (OSC), and the atomic ratios O / C and H / C of the ion groups are consistent with the expected sources and photochemical processing of the aerosol components. Our data suggest that chemical fragmentation gains importance over functionalization as photochemical age of OA increases. Surprisingly, the photochemical age of OA decreases during the daytime hours, demonstrating the importance of rapid production of new (photochemically young) SV-OOA during daytime. The PTR detects higher organic N concentrations than the AMS, the reasons for which are not well understood and cannot be explained by known artifacts related to PTR or the AMS. The median atomic N / C ratio (6.4%) of the ion group representing LV-OOA is a factor 2 higher than N / C of any other ion group. This suggests a multiphase chemical source involving ammonium ions is contributing to LV-OOA
Abstract. During summer 2010, a proton transfer reaction – time of flight – mass spectrometer (PTR-TOF-MS) and a quadrupole proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS) were deployed simultaneously for one month in an orange orchard in the Central Valley of California to collect continuous data suitable for eddy covariance (EC) flux calculations. The high time resolution (5 Hz) and high mass resolution (up to 5000 m/Δm) data from the PTR-TOF-MS provided the basis for calculating the concentration and flux for a wide range of volatile organic compounds (VOC). Throughout the campaign, 664 mass peaks were detected in mass-to-charge ratios between 10 and 1278. Here we present PTR-TOF-MS EC fluxes of the 27 ion species for which the vertical gradient was simultaneously measured by PTR-MS. These EC flux data were validated through spectral analysis (i.e., co-spectrum, normalized co-spectrum, and ogive). Based on inter-comparison of the two PTR instruments, no significant instrumental biases were found in either mixing ratios or fluxes, and the data showed agreement within 5% on average for methanol and acetone. For the measured biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC), the EC fluxes from PTR-TOF-MS were in agreement with the qualitatively inferred flux directions from vertical gradient measurements by PTR-MS. For the 27 selected ion species reported here, the PTR-TOF-MS measured total (24 h) mean net flux of 299 μg C m−2 h−1. The dominant BVOC emissions from this site were monoterpenes (m/z 81.070 + m/z 137.131 + m/z 95.086, 34%, 102 μg C m−2 h−1) and methanol (m/z 33.032, 18%, 72 μg C m−2 h−1). The next largest fluxes were detected at the following masses (attribution in parenthesis): m/z 59.048 (mostly acetone, 12.2%, 36.5 μg C m−2 h−1), m/z 61.027 (mostly acetic acid, 11.9%, 35.7 μg C m−2 h−1), m/z 93.069 (para-cymene + toluene, 4.1%, 12.2 μg C m−2 h−1), m/z 45.033 (acetaldehyde, 3.8%, 11.5 μg C m−2 h−1), m/z 71.048 (methylvinylketone + methacrolein, 2.4%, 7.1 μg C m−2 h−1), and m/z 69.071 (isoprene + 2-methyl-3-butene-2-ol, 1.8%, 5.3 μg C m−2 h−1). Low levels of emission and/or deposition (<1.6% for each, 5.8% in total flux) were observed for the additional reported masses. Overall, our results show that EC flux measurements using PTR-TOF-MS is a powerful new tool for characterizing the biosphere-atmosphere exchange including both emission and deposition for a large range of BVOC and their oxidation products.
During summer 2010, a proton transfer reaction-time of flight-mass spectrometer (PTR-TOF-MS) and a standard proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS) were deployed simultaneously for one month in an orange orchard in the Central Valley of California to collect continuous data suitable for eddy covariance (EC) flux calculations. The high time resolution (5 Hz) and high mass resolution (up to 5000 m Δ m<sup>−1</sup>) data from the PTR-TOF-MS provided the basis for calculating the concentration and flux for a wide range of volatile organic compounds (VOC). Throughout the campaign, 664 mass peaks were detected in mass-to-charge ratios between 10 and 1278. Here we present PTR-TOF-MS EC fluxes of the 27 ion species for which the vertical gradient was simultaneously measured by PTR-MS. These EC flux data were validated through spectral analysis (i.e. co-spectrum, normalized co-spectrum, and ogive). Based on inter-comparison of the two PTR instruments, no significant instrumental biases were found in either mixing ratios or fluxes, and the data showed agreement within 5% on average for methanol and acetone. For the measured biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC), the EC fluxes from PTR-TOF-MS were in agreement with the qualitatively inferred flux directions from vertical gradient measurements by PTR-MS. For the 27 selected ion species reported here, the PTR-TOF-MS measured total (24 h) mean net flux of 299 μg C m<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>. The dominant BVOC emissions from this site were monoterpenes (<i>m/z</i> 81.070 + <i>m/z</i> 137.131 + <i>m/z</i> 95.086, 34%, 102 μg C m<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>) and methanol (<i>m/z</i> 33.032, 18%, 72 μg C m<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>). The next largest fluxes were detected at the following masses (attribution in parenthesis): <i>m/z</i> 59.048 (mostly acetone, 12.2%, 36.5 μg C m<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>), <i>m/z</i> 61.027 (mostly acetic acid, 11.9%, 35.7 μg C m<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>), <i>m/z</i> 93.069 (para-cymene + toluene, 4.1%, 12.2 μg C m<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>), <i>m/z</i> 45.033 (acetaldehyde, 3.8%, 11.5 μg C m<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>), <i>m/z</i> 71.048 (methylvinylketone + methacrolein, 2.4%, 7.1 μg C m<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>), and <i>m/z</i> 69.071 (isoprene + 2-methyl-3-butene-2-ol, 1.8%, 5.3 μg C m<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>). Low levels of emission and/or deposition (<1.6% for each, 5.8% in total flux) were observed for the additional reported masses. Overall, our results show that EC flux measurements using PTR-TOF-MS is a powerful new tool for characterizing the biosphere...
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