Interferences in sampling atmospheric particulate nitrate

Spicer, Chester W.; Schumacher, P.M.

doi:10.1016/0004-6981(77)90062-2

Cited by 59 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…[5][6][7][8] Dissociation of NH 4 NO 3 increases with increasing temperature and decreases with increasing relative humidity (RH) above the deliquescence point. 9 NO 3 Ϫ can also be found in aerosol particles in other forms, including sodium nitrate (NaNO 3 ) and calcium nitrate [Ca(NO 3 ) 2 ], reflecting, for example, reactions of HNO 3 or its precursors with sea salt or suspended soil particles.…”

Section: Nitrate (Nomentioning

confidence: 99%

Particulate Nitrate Measurement Using Nylon Filters

Lee

Ayres

et al. 2005

Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association

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Nylon filters are a popular medium to collect atmospheric fine particles in different aerosol monitoring networks, including those operated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) program. Extraction of the filters by deionized water or by a basic aqueous solution (typically a mixture of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate) is often performed to permit measurement of the inorganic ion content of the collected particles. Whereas previous studies have demonstrated the importance of using a basic solution to efficiently extract gaseous nitric acid collected using nylon filters, there has been a recent movement to the use of deionized water for extraction of particles collected on nylon filters to eliminate interference from sodium ion (Na ϩ ) during ion chromatographic analysis of inorganic aerosol cations. Results are reported here from a study designed to investigate the efficiency of deionized water extraction of aerosol nitrate (NO 3 Ϫ ) and sulfate from nylon filters. Data were obtained through the conduct of five field experiments at selected IMPROVE sites. Results indicate that the nylon filters provide superior retention of collected fine particle NO 3 Ϫ , relative to Teflon filters, and that deionized water extraction (with ultrasonication) of collected NO 3 Ϫ and sulfate is as efficient, for the situations studied, as extraction using a basic solution of 1.7 mM sodium bicarbonate and 1.8 mM sodium carbonate.

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Section: Nitrate (Nomentioning

confidence: 99%

Particulate Nitrate Measurement Using Nylon Filters

Lee

Ayres

et al. 2005

Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association

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“…T o begin with, several investigators have recently reported that erroneously higli nitrate and sulfate concentrations are often measured with glass fiber collection media (28)(29)(30). The problem is particularly severe for nitrate, gaseous nitrogen compounds (such as NO2 and HNOJ can react with glass fiber filters to form nitrate, resulting in particulate nitrate measurements often an order of magnitude higher than actual ambient levels.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Water-soluble components of size-fractionated aerosols collected after hours in a modern office building

Walker¹,

Weschler²

1980

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Size-fractionated aerosol samples have been collected after hours in a modern six-story facility that houses approximately 4000 employees. The total water-soluble content of the aerosol decreases with increasing particle size, as indicated by conductivity measurements. Sulfate and ammonium are chiefly responsible for this trend, while nitrate, chloride, and sodium are fairly evenly distributed throughout the size-fractionated samples. Indeed, acid ammonium sulfate accounts for the majority of the water-soluble material in the submicron aerosol. In this size range, the indoor sulfate values are very similar to reported outdoor values. The results suggest that, consistent with the building's air filtration system, in the submicron size range the gross features of the indoor and outdoor aerosols are similar, while differences are more pronounced in the larger size ranges.This work is part of an ongoing study (1-4) to develop techniques for the characterization of indoor aerosols. In the present report, previously outlined characterization procedures (2) have been applied to size-fractionated dust collected in a modern office building from 530 p.m. to 8:30 a.m.; the results demonstrate the feasibility of using such procedures on size-fractionated samples. The obtainable information is of interest because aerosols affect both people and equipment. The focus of this study, the water-soluble portion of the aerosol, can ultimately damage extrapulmonary tissues, irrespective of deposition site ( 5 ) . Water-soluble components are also of special concern to the electronics industry (6). As relative humidity increases, equipment contaminated with indoor dust acquires moisture (due largely to electrolytes contained in the dust). This can result in both corrosion and current leakage, either of which may ultimately lead to a circuit failure (6). Such effects are more accurately predicted and more effectively modified if the chemical composition of the acting aerosol is understood. ExperimentalEquipment. Solution conductivities were measured and sulfate and chloride concentrations were determined by potentiometric measurements with previously described equipment (2). Sodium was measured with an Orion 94-11 electrode, while pH was determined with a Sensorex combination electrode (S200C). A Varian Model 6348 spectrophotometer was used for nitrate (415 nm) and ammonium (626 nm) colorimetric detection. Optical and scanning electron microscopes were as previously described (2). Solutions were agitated with an Eberbach Rotator.Materials. Unless otherwise specified, all chemicals were of reagent grade. The distilled water had an initial conductivity of less than 0.8 pL'-'/cm.Sampling. Size-fractionated aerosol samples were collected using an Anderson Model 65-000 four-stage cascade impactor with backup filter. The sampler was equipped with a flow controller (probe located in the throat of a high-volume blower) to maintain a constant flow rate of 0.57 m3/min (20 cfm). A 10-ft section of flexible duct (6 in. i.d.) was attached to the hi...

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“…Under some conditions the filter pack method cannot accurately separate aerosol nitrate and nitric acid vapor due to positive and negative artifacts [Spicer and Schumacher, 1977;Appel etal., 1979;Talbot et al, 1990]. However, TN measurements are not subject to these artifacts.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variation of free tropospheric total nitrate at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii

Lee¹,

Merrill²,

Huebert³

1994

J. Geophys. Res.

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We measured total nitrate (TN) concentrations (defined as nitric acid vapor plus nitrate aerosol) nightly at the Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO) from September 1988 to September 1991. Using three meteorological criteria, (condensation nuclei, wind direction, and dew point) we selected samples that represented the free troposphere. The 3‐year mean and median of TN mixing ratios were 113 parts per trillion by volume (pptv) and 93 pptv, respectively. Each year the TN concentrations at MLO during the spring and summer were larger by more than a factor of 2 than those during the fall and winter. The springtime peak TN corresponded to incidents of increased Asian dust over the northern Pacific Ocean. Isentropic back trajectories confirmed that spring air masses with high TN originated over the Asian continent. Back trajectories also indicated that the North American continent was often the source of high TN during the summer. Air mass source regions and flow patterns to MLO were classified into five distinct groups of trajectories by cluster analysis. Despite the different source regions for each of the clusters the distributions of TN were very similar. This suggests that the source region may be less important for determining TN at MLO than such factors as the degree of vertical mixing over source regions, stratospheric injection, and wet removal rates.

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Interferences in sampling atmospheric particulate nitrate

Cited by 59 publications

References 3 publications

Particulate Nitrate Measurement Using Nylon Filters

Particulate Nitrate Measurement Using Nylon Filters

Water-soluble components of size-fractionated aerosols collected after hours in a modern office building

Variation of free tropospheric total nitrate at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii

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