Abstract. Kinetic and mechanistic data relevant to the tropospheric degradation of volatile organic compounds (VOC), and the production of secondary pollutants, have previously been used to define a protocol which underpinned the construction of a near-explicit Master Chemical Mechanism. In this paper, an update to the previous protocol is presented, which has been used to define degradation schemes for 107 non-aromatic VOC as part of version 3 of the Master Chemical Mechanism (MCM v3). The treatment of 18 aromatic VOC is described in a companion paper. The protocol is divided into a series of subsections describing initiation reactions, the reactions of the radical intermediates and the further degradation of first and subsequent generation products. Emphasis is placed on updating the previous information, and outlining the methodology which is specifically applicable to VOC not considered previously (e.g., α-and β-pinene). The present protocol aims to take into consideration work available in the open literature up to the beginning of 2001, and some other studies known by the authors which were under review at the time. Application of MCM v3 in appropriate box models indicates that the representation of isoprene degradation provides a good description of the speciated distribution of oxygenated organic products observed in reported field studies where isoprene was the dominant emitted hydrocarbon, and that the α-pinene degradation chemistry provides a good description of the time dependence of key gas phase species in α-pinene/NO X photo-oxidation experiments carried out in the European Photoreactor (EU-PHORE). Photochemical Ozone Creation Potentials (POCP) have been calculated for the 106 non-aromatic non-methane VOC in MCM v3 for idealised conditions appropriate to north-west Europe, using a photochemical trajectory model. The POCP values provide a measure of the relative ozone forming abilities of the VOC. Where applicable, the values are compared with those calculated with previous versions of the MCM.

This compilation contains critically evaluated kinetic data on elementary homogeneous gas phase for use in modelling processes. Data sheets are presented for some 196 Each data sheet sets out relevant data, rate coefficient measurements, an assessment of the reliability of the data, references, and recommended rate parameters. Tables summarizing the preferred rate data are also given. The considered are limited largely to those involved in the of and ethane in air but a few relevant to the chemistry of exhaust gases and to the of aromatic compounds are also included.

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The most commonly used theoretical models for describing chemical kinetics are accurate in two limits. When relaxation is fast with respect to reaction time scales, thermal transition state theory (TST) is the theoretical tool of choice. In the limit of slow relaxation, an energy resolved description like RRKM theory is more appropriate. For intermediate relaxation regimes, where much of the chemistry in nature occurs, theoretical approaches are somewhat less well established. However, in recent years master equation approaches have been successfully used to analyze and predict nonequilibrium chemical kinetics across a range of intermediate relaxation regimes spanning atmospheric, combustion, and (very recently) solution phase organic chemistry. In this article, we describe a Master Equation Solver for Multi-Energy Well Reactions (MESMER), a user-friendly, object-oriented, open-source code designed to facilitate kinetic simulations over multi-well molecular energy topologies where energy transfer with an external bath impacts phenomenological kinetics. MESMER offers users a range of user options specified via keywords and also includes some unique statistical mechanics approaches like contracted basis set methods and nonadiabatic RRKM theory for modeling spin-hopping. It is our hope that the design principles implemented in MESMER will facilitate its development and usage by workers across a range of fields concerned with chemical kinetics. As accurate thermodynamics data become more widely available, electronic structure theory is increasingly reliable, and as our fundamental understanding of energy transfer improves, we envision that tools like MESMER will eventually enable routine and reliable prediction of nonequilibrium kinetics in arbitrary systems.

Abstract. Global atmospheric models play a key role in international assessments of the human impact on global climate and air pollution. To increase the accuracy and facilitate comparison of results from such models, it is essential they contain up-to-date chemical mechanisms. To this end, we present an evaluation of the atmospheric chemistry of the four most abundant organic peroxy radicals: CH302, C2H502, CH3C(O)O2, and CH3C(O)CH202. The literature data for the atmospheric reactions of these radicals are evaluated. In addition, the ultraviolet absorption cross sections for the above radicals and for HO2 have been evaluated. The absorption spectra were fitted to an analytical formula, which enabled published spectra to be screened objectively. Published kinetic and product data were reinterpreted, or in some case reanalyzed, using the new cross sections, leading to a self-consistent set of kinetic, mechanistic, and spectroscopic data. Product studies were also evaluated. A set of peroxy radical reaction rate coefficients and products are recommended for use in atmospheric modeling. A three-dimensional global chemical transport model (the Intermediate Model for the Global Evolution of Species, IMAGES) was run using both previously recommended rate coefficients and the current set to highlight the sensitivity of key atmospheric trace species to the peroxy radical chemistry used in the model.

Abstract. The Master Chemical Mechanism has been updated from MCMv3 to MCMv3.1 in order to take into account recent improvements in the understanding of aromatic photo-oxidation. Newly available kinetic and product data from the literature have been incorporated into the mechanism. In particular, the degradation mechanisms for hydroxyarenes have been revised following the observation of high yields of ring-retained products, and product studies of aromatic oxidation under relatively low NO x conditions have provided new information on the branching ratios to first generation products. Experiments have been carried out at the European Photoreactor (EUPHORE) to investigate key subsets of the toluene system. These results have been used to test our understanding of toluene oxidation, and, where possible, refine the degradation mechanisms. The evaluation of MCMv3 and MCMv3.1 using data on benzene, toluene, p-xylene and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene photosmog systems is described in a companion paper, and significant model shortcomings are identified. Ideas for additional modifications to the mechanisms, and for future experiments to further our knowledge of the details of aromatic photo-oxidation are discussed.

Increasing tropospheric ozone levels over the past 150 years have led to a significant climate perturbation; the prediction of future trends in tropospheric ozone will require a full understanding of both its precursor emissions and its destruction processes. A large proportion of tropospheric ozone loss occurs in the tropical marine boundary layer and is thought to be driven primarily by high ozone photolysis rates in the presence of high concentrations of water vapour. A further reduction in the tropospheric ozone burden through bromine and iodine emitted from open-ocean marine sources has been postulated by numerical models, but thus far has not been verified by observations. Here we report eight months of spectroscopic measurements at the Cape Verde Observatory indicative of the ubiquitous daytime presence of bromine monoxide and iodine monoxide in the tropical marine boundary layer. A year-round data set of co-located in situ surface trace gas measurements made in conjunction with low-level aircraft observations shows that the mean daily observed ozone loss is approximately 50 per cent greater than that simulated by a global chemistry model using a classical photochemistry scheme that excludes halogen chemistry. We perform box model calculations that indicate that the observed halogen concentrations induce the extra ozone loss required for the models to match observations. Our results show that halogen chemistry has a significant and extensive influence on photochemical ozone loss in the tropical Atlantic Ocean boundary layer. The omission of halogen sources and their chemistry in atmospheric models may lead to significant errors in calculations of global ozone budgets, tropospheric oxidizing capacity and methane oxidation rates, both historically and in the future.

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