VII. Tropospheric Ozone Catalytic Cycles Terminating the Cycles Initiating Organic Chemistry Meteorology
Ozone Damages lung – hard on kids, the aged, and anyone with bad lungs Concentrations ppbv (continental background) 80 ppbv (EPA 8 hour limit) 120 ppbv (old EPA 1 hour limit)
EPA Map of Peak Ozone Concentration 0-60 ppb ppb ppb ppb ppb 125+ ppb No Data
Source of Ground-Level O 3 NO 2 + h → NO + O O + O 2 → O 3 NO + O 3 → NO 2 + O 2 NO x = NO + NO 2 NO x + sunlight yields O 3 These 3 reactions steady state w/limited [O 3 ]
Add CO and HO x Chemistry OH + CO → H + CO 2 H + O 2 → HO 2 HO 2 + NO → OH + NO 2 NO 2 + h → NO + O O + O 2 → O 3 CO + 2 O 2 → CO 2 + O 3 CO CO 2 OH HO 2 NO NO 2 h O O3O3 O2O2
Add Organic Compounds… OH + CH 4 → CH 3 + HOH CH 3 + O 2 → CH 3 OO CH 3 OO + NO → CH 3 O + NO 2 CH 3 O + O 2 → CH 2 =O + HO 2 HO 2 + NO → OH + NO 2 2{NO 2 + h → NO + O} 2{O + O 2 → O 3 } CH O 2 → CH 2 =O + 2 O 3 + H 2 O
NO x Concentrations Urban 5-20 ppbv Rural 0.1 – 5 ppbv Remote ppbv [HOO] ≈ Sum over [ROO] << [NO x ] except for Remote k(ROO + NO) ≈ k(HOO + NO) ≈ k(ROO + HOO) So HOO and ROO mostly react with NO
Termination of Cycles RO RH + OH, O 2 → ROO NO NO 2 h RONO 2 Limits NO x Cycling and organic radical chem.
Termination of Cycles at High [NO 2 ] NO 2 RCH 3 RCH=O OH HO 2 NO NO 2 h HONO 2 Stops HO x Cycling
Termination of Cycles at low [NO x ] RO ROO NO NO 2 h HOO ROOH 2 HOO → HOOH + O 2 organic radical chem. HOx cycling
Contour of Maximum [O 3 ] VOC (ppmC) NO x (ppb) [O 3 ] max 160 ppb 120 ppb 80 ppb NO x : VOC ≈ 1:7 downtown downwind
Fate of Organic Compounds- OH vacuum cleaner of the atmosphere OH + RH → R + HOH OH + RCH=CH 2 → RCHCH 2 OH or RCH(OH)CH 2 OH Production photochemical (daylight) O( 1 D) + HOH → 2 OH HONO + h → OH + NO HOO + NO → OH + NO 2 HOO from CH 2 =O + h and organic radicals
NO 3 + RCH=CH 2 → RCHCH 2 ONO 2 or RCH(ONO 2 )CH 2 NO 3 Production NO + O 3 → NO 2 + O 2 NO 2 + O 3 → NO 3 + O 2 (slower than NO 2 + h ) NO 2 + NO 3 → N 2 O 5 NO 3 + h → NO 2 + O or NO + O 2 ( = seconds) [NO 3 ] only significant in the dark !! Fate of Organic Compounds- NO 3
Fate of Organic Compounds- O 3
Activity
Meteorology and Air Pollution “Dilution is the Solution to Pollution” Dispersing vs. Trapping pollutants Planetary Boundary Layer - region influenced by surface (convection) - vertical mixing time scale of 1 hour - 1st 100 m – 2 km - diurnal (daily) cycle
Planetary Boundary Layer
Ozone and Topography
Topography and Meteorology Pacific Ocean(km)San Bernadino Mtns
Topography and Meteorology Pacific Ocean(km)San Bernadino Mtns
Topography and Meteorology
Inversion Layer Warmer above than below, so air is trapped time limited, specific geography
Key Points Sunlight, NO x, and Organics Cycles in HO x and NO x NO x is globally limiting reagent OH removes organics (O 3, NO 3 ) Kinetics calculations - steady state concentrations - fate of species Topography (meteorology)