Measurement of OH radical formation from the reaction of ozone with several biogenic alkenes

Abstract

OH radical formation from the ozone reaction with isoprene, α‐pinene, and methyl vinyl ketone were measured using the recently developed small‐ratio relative‐rate technique. This method uses small amounts of fast‐reacting aromatics and aliphatic ethers to trace OH formation. Measured OH yields were 0.25±0.06, 0.70±0.17, and 0.16±0.05 for isoprene, α‐pinene, and methyl vinyl ketone, respectively. The levels of biogenic alkenes necessary to contribute a non‐negligible fraction of new OH, HO2, and RO2 radicals are briefly discussed.