SULFUR AND NITROGEN COMPOUNDS IN URBAN AEROSOLS*

Abstract

This paper reports results from a detailed chemical and meteorological data base that has been accumulated for the New York City subregion. Aerosol sampling during August 1976 and February 1977 sampling periods was done only in an urban New York site and a background site at High Point, NJ. The sampling program was expanded to Brookhaven (Long Island) and New Haven, Connecticut sites during summer 1977 and winter 1978 sampling. Time resolution for aerosol filter samples was 6 hr, with some 3 hr sampling for the latter three periods. Parameters measured included chemical constituents: strong acid (quartz filters only), ammonium, sulfate and nitrate, sulfuric acid (limited data); physical parameters: aerosol size distributions by cascade impactor, cyclone sampler, EAA, on optical counter and a special diffusion battery-CNC apparatus; light scattering nephelometer and other instrumentation; chemically-speciated size classification by diffusion sampler; trace metals by atomic absorption; halogen compounds by NAA; meteorological measurements of RH, temperature, wind speed and direction; gaseous measurements of SO/sub 2/, ozone, NO/sub x/ and hydrocarbons at some locations for some sampling periods. The existence of aerosol sulfate in the ambient environment predominantly in the chemical form of sulfuric acid mostly neutralized by ammonia is now well documented. Themore » average composition of fine particle (< 3.5 ..mu..m) sulfate in summer 1976 aerosols was approximately that letovicite ((NH/sub 4/)/sub 3/H(SO/sub 4/)/sub 2/). Based on the impactor data, about 85% of the aerosol sulfate mass was in the fine particle fraction. About 50% of this aerosol sulfate was deduced to be in the suboptical size regime (< 0.25 ..mu..m) from diffusion processor data. The H/sup +//SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/ ratio in suboptical aerosols did not significantly differ from that in fine fraction aerosol. The coarse particle sulfate was not associated with H/sup +/ or NH/sub 4//sup +/ and comprised about 15% of the sulfate mass.« less