Oxodicarboxylic acids in atmospheric aerosol particles

Abstract

Fine mode aerosol was collected on quartz fiber filters at several sites across Europe. These samples were analyzed for carboxylic acids by liquid chromatography coupled to a hybrid (quadrupole and time-of-flight) mass spectrometer (LC/MS/MS-TOF). A series of oxodicarboxylic acids (C 7–C 11) was detected. Oxodicarboxylic acids are linear dicarboxylic acids with an additional carbonyl group. Previous measurements of these acids are scarce and their sources are largely unknown. Several structural isomers (different positions of the carbonyl group within the molecule) could be identified and differentiated by the combination of laboratory experiments and high mass accuracy measurements. The homologs with 9–11 carbon atoms were identified for the first time in atmospheric aerosol particles. The concentrations of oxodicarboxylic acids in ambient aerosol samples frequently exceeded those of the corresponding unsubstituted dicarboxylic acids. Oxodicarboxylic acids have been shown to be products of the reaction of dicarboxylic acids with OH radicals in chamber experiments and a reaction mechanism is proposed. Good correlation of oxodicarboxylic acid and hydroxyl radical concentrations was found at two measurement sites (Finland and Crete) of different geographic location and meteorological conditions. The ratios of individual isomers from the field samples are comparable to those of the laboratory experiments. The results of this study imply that the reaction of OH radicals and dicarboxylic acids is an important pathway for the production of oxodicarboxylic acids in the atmosphere. Oxodicarboxylic acids seem to be important intermediates in atmospheric oxidation processes of organic compounds.