Formation and occurrence of organic hydroperoxides in the troposphere: Laboratory and field observations

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The formation and occurrence of hydroperoxides in the troposphere have been studied by laboratory experiments and by preliminary field measurements. Nine alkenes were reacted individually with ozone in a reaction chamber in the presence of excess water, and the amounts of hydrogen peroxide and of nine organic hydroperoxides produced in the gas and aerosol phases and deposited on the chamber walls determined by HPLC. The reactions of ethene, propene, 1-butene and isoprene gave hydroxymethyl hydroperoxide as the major product with no hydrogen peroxide observed. In the case of α- and β-pinene, 2-carene and limonene the major product was hydrogen peroxide. Cis-2-butene produced hydrogen peroxide and methyl hydroperoxide. Preliminary measurements of hydrogen peroxide and five organic hydroperoxides in ambient air were made at Niwot Ridge, Colorado from 24 July–4 August 1989. The gas-phase species were preconcentrated by cryotrapping with subsequent HPLC separation. The gas-phase concentrations of H2O2 ranged from 0.5–2 ppbv with the lowest concentrations being measured at night and the highest under conditions of strong photochemical activity. The maximum concentrations of hydroxymethyl hydroperoxide approximated those of H2O2. Methyl hydroperoxide concentrations ranged from <50 to 800 pptv and three other organic hydroperoxides were detected at concentrations below 200 pptv. High volume aerosol samples yielded H2O2 and methyl hydroperoxide concentrations <10 ng m-3 while H2O2 and six organic species were detected in rainwater at concentrations in the range <0.01–50 μM.