Diurnal variability of gas phase and surface water ethanol in southeastern North Carolina, USA

Abstract

Diurnal variations in gas phase and surface water concentrations of ethanol and acetaldehyde were investigated at five locations in southeastern North Carolina, USA. There were distinct diurnal oscillations observed in gas phase concentrations with maxima occurring in late afternoon suggesting that photochemical production is an important process in the cycling of these analytes in the troposphere. The rapid decrease in concentrations after the mid day maximum suggests that there is also an atmospheric photochemical sink for both analytes most likely involving photo produced hydroxyl radicals with a half-life on the order of hours rather than days at ground level. Ethanol concentrations in the surface microlayer taken at the same time as gas phase samples had a very similar diurnal profile suggesting photochemical processes, in addition to atmospheric deposition, play a role in the aqueous phase cycling of both analytes. The concentration of ethanol and acetaldehyde increased significantly in flasks containing freshwater collected from the Cape Fear River exposed to simulated sunlight for 6 h underscoring the importance of in situ photochemical production. Results of this study are significant because they represent the first simultaneous analyses of the temporal variability of ethanol and acetaldehyde concentrations in the gas and aqueous phases. These measurements are essential in order to better define the processes involved in the global biogeochemical cycling of ethanol both now and in the future as our use of the biofuel continues to grow.