Acetone and monoterpene emissions from the boreal forest in northern Europe

Abstract

Acetone is a ubiquitous component of the atmosphere which, by its photolysis, can play an important role in photochemical reactions in the free troposphere. This paper investigates the biogenic source of acetone from Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris) and Norway spruce ( Picea abies) in the Scandinavian boreal zone. Branch emission measurements of acetone, monoterpenes, and isoprene were made with an all-Teflon flow-through branch chamber from five specimens of Scots pine at three sites in Sweden and Finland, and from one specimen of Norway spruce at one site in Sweden. Acetone samples were taken with SepPak™ DNPH cartridges, monoterpenes with Tenax TA, and isoprene with 3 l electropolished canisters. Acetone was found to dominate the carbonyl emission of both Scots pine and Norway spruce, as large as the monoterpene emissions and for Norway spruce, as the isoprene emission. The average standard emission rate (30°C) and average β-coefficient for the temperature correlation for 5 specimens of Scots pine were 870 ng C gdw −1 h −1 (gdw=gram dry weight) and 0.12, respectively. For the monoterpenes the values were 900 ng C gdw −1 h −1 and 0.12, respectively. The standard emission rate (30°C) for acetone from Norway spruce was 265 ng C gdw −1 h −1, but the sparsity of data, along with the unusual weather conditions at the time of the measurements, precludes the establishment of a summertime best estimate emission factor.