Speciated Inorganic Reactive Nitrogen Measurements in the Clean Air Status and Trends Network

Melissa Puchalski1, Kevin Mishoe2, John T. Walker3, Anthony Ward4, Gregory Beachley5, Christopher Rogers6 and Doris Chen7

Total reactive oxidized nitrogen (NOy) is measured at more than 80 sites across the U.S. to better understand ozone formation and atmospheric chemistry processes. The analyzer uses a heated molybdemum converter upon a 10m tower to convert all oxidized nitrogen species to NO while a second sample train draws ambient air. A chemiluminescence detector measures NO from both sample trains providing hourly concentrations of NO and NOy. Routine ambient monitoring networks such as the Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNET), Chemical Speciation Network (CSN), and Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) network measure nitrogen-containing gases and particles contributing to the total reactive nitrogen budget, but without key components such as total reduced nitrogen (NHx) and nitric acid (HNO3). The routine networks also lack the temporal resolution needed to relate atmospheric chemistry to other processes with important diurnal variability (e.g., air-surface exchange, emissions, solar radiation, boundary-layer height). In this study, Wood E&IS, Inc. designed an enhanced chemiluminescence system to measure total reactive nitrogen (TNr), NOy, NO2, NO and NHx, HNO3 and NOz by difference. The system uses one NO detector to eliminate the need to bias correct between different analyzers. Chemical transport and deposition models would benefit from hourly measurements of HNO3, NO2, and NHx at a large number of sites located in rural and urban areas as these are significant contributors to the total and dry nitrogen deposition budget.

The enhanced chemiluminescence systems were deployed in Beltsville, MD, a suburban/agricultural location, and above a hardwood canopy at the Duke Forest, NC flux tower. Overall performance of the systems was assessed using co-located measurements from the CASTNET filter pack, AMoN and the Monitor for AeRsols and GAses (MARGA). EPA supports NO/NOy systems at 4 sites and could upgrade the existing systems to provide more valuable data to the air quality and deposition research community.

 

1US Environmental Protection Agency, puchalski.melissa@epa.gov
2Wood, kevin.mishoe@woodplc.com
3US Environmental Protection Agency, walker.johnt@epa.gov
4Wood, anthony.ward@woodplc.com
5US Environmental Protection Agency, beachley.gregory@epa.gov
6Wood, christopher.rogers@woodplc.com
7US Environmental Protection Agency, chen.xi@epa.gov