Atmospheric Nitrogen Dioxide Research Articles

MUTANTS OF FICUS PUMILA PRODUCED BY ION BEAM IRRADIATION WITH AN IMPROVED ABILITY TO UPTAKE AND ASSIMILATE ATMOSPHERIC NITROGEN DIOXIDE

Production of novel mutants with a high ability to mitigate pollutants is important for phytoremediation. We investigated the use of ion beam irradiation to produce mutants of Ficus pumila L. with an improved ability to mitigate atmospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2). More than 25,000 shoot explants were irradiated with an ion beam (12C5+, 12C6+, or 4He2+), from which 263 independent plant lines were obtained. The plants were analyzed for NO2 uptake by fumigation with 1 ppm 15N-labeled NO2 for 8 h in light, followed by mass spectrometric analysis. The mean NO2 uptake values of each of the 263 lines differed over a 110-fold range. Propagation was attempted using cuttings from 44 lines showing the greatest NO2 uptake; in total, 15 lines were propagated. Two of the 15 lines showed a mean NO2 uptake 1.7- to 1.8-fold greater than that of the wild-type. This increase in NO2 uptake was heritable in both lines; their progenies showed a significantly greater ability to take up and assimilate NO2 than did the wild-type. RAPD analysis demonstrated DNA variation between the progeny plants and the wild type, suggesting that the progeny were true mutants. These mutants of F. pumila may prove useful in mitigating atmospheric NO2.

The Cabauw Intercomparison campaign for Nitrogen Dioxide measuring Instruments (CINDI): design, execution, and early results

Abstract. From June to July 2009 more than thirty different in-situ and remote sensing instruments from all over the world participated in the Cabauw Intercomparison campaign for Nitrogen Dioxide measuring Instruments (CINDI). The campaign took place at KNMI's Cabauw Experimental Site for Atmospheric Research (CESAR) in the Netherlands. Its main objectives were to determine the accuracy of state-of-the-art ground-based measurement techniques for the detection of atmospheric nitrogen dioxide (both in-situ and remote sensing), and to investigate their usability in satellite data validation. The expected outcomes are recommendations regarding the operation and calibration of such instruments, retrieval settings, and observation strategies for the use in ground-based networks for air quality monitoring and satellite data validation. Twenty-four optical spectrometers participated in the campaign, of which twenty-one had the capability to scan different elevation angles consecutively, the so-called Multi-axis DOAS systems, thereby collecting vertical profile information, in particular for nitrogen dioxide and aerosol. Various in-situ samplers and lidar instruments simultaneously characterized the variability of atmospheric trace gases and the physical properties of aerosol particles. A large data set of continuous measurements of these atmospheric constituents has been collected under various meteorological conditions and air pollution levels. Together with the permanent measurement capability at the CESAR site characterizing the meteorological state of the atmosphere, the CINDI campaign provided a comprehensive observational data set of atmospheric constituents in a highly polluted region of the world during summertime. First detailed comparisons performed with the CINDI data show that slant column measurements of NO2, O4 and HCHO with MAX-DOAS agree within 5 to 15%, vertical profiles of NO2 derived from several independent instruments agree within 25% of one another, and MAX-DOAS aerosol optical thickness agrees within 20–30% with AERONET data. For the in-situ NO2 instrument using a molybdenum converter, a bias was found as large as 5 ppbv during day time, when compared to the other in-situ instruments using photolytic converters.

Air-Pollutant-Philic Plants for Air Remediation

In this communication, we review our work over two decades on air-pollutant-philic plants that can grow with air pollutants as the sole nutrient source. We believe that such plants are instrumental in mitigating air pollution. Our target air pollutant has been atmospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and our work on this subject has consisted of three parts: Variation in plants’ abilities to mitigate air pollutants among naturally occurring plants, genetic improvement of plants’ abilities to mitigate air pollutants, and the plant vitalization effect of NO2. So far, an estimation of the half-life of nitrogen derived from NO2 uptake in plants belonging to the 217 taxa studied to date has shown no plants to be naturally occurring air-pollutant-philic. However, we found that an enormous difference exists in plants’ ability to uptake and assimilate atmospheric NO2. Future studies on the causes of this process may provide an important clue to aid the genetic production of plants that are effectively air-pollutant-philic. Both genetic engineering of the genes involved in the primary nitrate metabolism and genetic modification by ion-beam irradiation failed to make plants air-pollutant-philic, but mutants obtained in these studies will prove useful in revealing those genes critical in doing so. During our study on air-pollutant-philic plants, we unexpectedly discovered that prolonged exposure of plants to a sufficient level of NO2 activates the uptake and metabolism of nutrients that fuel plant growth and development. We named this phenomenon “the plant vitalization effect of NO2” (PVEON). Investigations into the mechanisms and genes involved in PVEON will provide an important clue to making plants air-pollutant-philic in the future.

Monitoring of atmospheric nitrogen dioxide by long-path pulsed differential optical absorption spectroscopy using two different light paths

Measurements of the local distribution of atmospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)) by long-path pulsed differential optical absorption spectroscopy (LP-PDOAS) in Tokyo during August 2008 are presented. Two LP-PDOAS systems simultaneously measured average NO(2) temporal mixing ratios along two different paths from a single observation point. Two flashing aviation obstruction lights, located 7.0 km north and 6.3 km east from the observation point, were used as light sources, allowing spatiotemporal variations of NO(2) in Tokyo to be inferred. The LP-PDOAS data were compared with ground-based data measured using chemiluminescence. Surface wind data indicated that large inhomogeneities were present in the spatial NO(2) distributions under southerly wind conditions, while northerly wind conditions displayed greater homogeneity between the two systems. The higher correlation in the NO(2) mixing ratio between the two LP-PDOAS systems was observed under northerly wind conditions with a correlation factor R(2) = 0.88. We demonstrated that the combined deployment of two LP-PDOAS systems oriented in different directions provides detailed information on the spatial distribution of NO(2).

A Simple and Simultaneous Measurement Method of Sulfur Dioxide and Nitrogen Dioxide in Atmosphere with Triethanolamine Cylindrical Filter Method

A Simple and Simultaneous Measurement Method of Sulfur Dioxide and Nitrogen Dioxide in Atmosphere with Triethanolamine Cylindrical Filter Method

NO2-drived NO3– metabolism in leaves

Atmospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) can be dry/wet deposited into plant leaves mainly through stomata, with a small fraction of cuticle deposition. Plants in nature present a wide variation in NO2 assimilation and the resistance. The ability of leaf NO2 uptake and efficient remobilization of NO2-derived NO3/NO2 is important for normal plant growth and to withstand nitrogen deprivation. Moreover, leafand root-derived NO3 metabolisms have both links and differences. This review emphasizes on the fates of NO2-drived NO3, including i) the assimilation into amino acids, ii) accumulation in vacuoles, and iii) reemission by NOx (NO and/or NO2), and discuss metabolic differences of NO2-drived and root-derived NO3. Special attention is drawn to NOx evolution in apoplast and symplast of leaves and its control to stomatal dynamics. Moreover, further progress is proposed to get a better understanding of the dynamic uptake of NO2 and NO3 transporters in leaves.

Prolonged exposure to atmospheric nitrogen dioxide increases fruit yield of tomato plants

Prolonged exposure of plants to a sufficient level of atmospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) activates the uptake and metabolism of nutrients that fuel plant growth and development, a phenomenon termed the plant vitalization effect of NO2. This study examined the effect of NO2 on the fruit yield of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. Micro-Tom). Double exposure chambers, designated ±NO2 chambers, were placed in a confined greenhouse. The air entering the −NO2 chamber was scrubbed of nitrogen oxides including NO2, and the air entering the +NO2 chamber was supplemented with NO2 (50 ± 10 ppb). Two-week-old tomato seedlings that had been grown in the −NO2 chamber after sowing were then grown in a +NO2 or −NO2 chamber for the remainder of the growth period until 96 days after sowing. Growth in the +NO2 chamber led to a significant increase in fruit yield of approximately 40% as compared to growth in the −NO2 chamber. This increase in fruit yield was accompanied by acceleration of flowering time by 3.2 days and an increase in flower number per plant of up to 60%. These results show that exposure to NO2 increases fruit yield via stimulation of flowering in tomato.

New spectrophotometric method for determining nitrogen dioxide in air using 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethyl benzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid-diammonium salt and passive sampling.

A new simple and highly sensitive spectrophotometric method for determining nitrogen dioxide in air was developed. The method is based on converting atmospheric nitrogen dioxide to nitrite ions within the IVL passive samplers used for samples collection. Acidifying nitrite ions with concentrated HCl produced the peroxynitrous acid oxidizing agent which was measured using 2, 2-azino-bis(3-ethyl benzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid-diammonium salt (ABTS) as reducing coloring agent. A parallel series of collected samples were measured for its nitrite content using a validated ion chromatographic method.The results obtained using both methods were compared in terms of their sensitivity and accuracy. Developed spectrophotometric method was shown to be one order of magnitude higher in sensitivity compared to the ion chromatographic method. Quantitation limits of 0.05 ppm and 0.55 μg/m3 were obtained for nitrite ion and nitrogen dioxid, respectively. Standard deviations in the ranges of 0.05–0.59 and 0.63–7.92 with averages of 0.27 and 3.11 were obtained for determining nitrite and nitrogen dioxide, respectively.Student-t test revealed t-values less than 6.93 and 4.40 for nitrite ions and nitrogen dioxide, respectively. These values indicated insignificant difference between the averages of the newly developed method and the values obtained by ion chromatography at 95% confidence level.Compared to continuous monitoring techniques, the newly developed method has shown simple, accurate, sensitive, inexpensive and reliable for long term monitoring of nitrogen dioxide in ambient air.

Fluorescence detection of atmospheric nitrogen dioxide using a blue light-emitting diode as an excitation source

We report on the development of a low-cost and compact instrument for quantifying atmospheric NO(2) concentrations by detecting NO(2) fluorescence using a commercial light-emitting diode around 435 nm as a fluorescence excitation light source. The minimum detectable limit of the NO(2) instrument developed has been estimated to be 9.8 parts per billion of volume mixing ratio (ppbv) in a 60 s integration time and with a signal-to-noise ratio of 2.

Tropospheric NO2trend over St. Petersburg (Russia) as measured from space

For the period 1996{2009, combined data set of tropospheric NO2 measurements by satellite instruments GOME, SCIAMACHY and OMI has been analyzed to derive possible trend over the city of St. Petersburg in Russia. The time series of the monthly NO2 columns for these 14 years have been tted with a linear function superposed on an annual seasonal cycle. Resulting trend estimate provides a linear growth of 4% per year, which generally correlates with an independent assessments done by NOx inventory studies. KEYWORDS: Atmospheric nitrogen dioxide; satellite remote sensing; tropospheric pollution. Citation: Ionov, D. V. (2010), Tropospheric NO2 trend over St. Petersburg (Russia) as measured from space, Russ. J. Earth. Sci., 11, ES4004, doi:10.2205/2010ES000437.

Evaluation of ultraviolet light-emitting diodes for detection of atmospheric NO2 by photolysis - chemiluminescence

Commercially available ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) are evaluated in the laboratory as a light source for photolysis of atmospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) followed by chemiluminescence detection (P-CL) of the resulting nitric oxide (NO). Sensitivity, selectivity, and engineering simplicity of three UV-LED sources are compared. The most powerful source uses two 9-W Nichia LED modules and provides an NO2 photolysis frequency (j) of 8.4 s−1 corresponding to a nine-fold improvement over a 100-W Hg arc lamp; this source provides the most sensitivity, but requires water cooling. A pair of Hamamatsu 0.25-W LED modules provides intermediate sensitivity with photolysis efficiency comparable to a 100-W Hg arc lamp. The Hamamatsu LEDs require no additional cooling and are a simple and inexpensive package, providing sensitivity and stability appropriate for long-term, unattended measurements at remote surface sites. A Droplet Measurement Technologies Blue-Light Converter (BLC) represents the most complete off-the-shelf system available for atmospheric measurements of NO2. The BLC provides the least sensitivity of the LED-based converters, but is less subject to interference from HONO. Implementing the Nichia LEDs into the NOAA WP-3D aircraft P-CL instrument, in conjunction with improved sample gas handling, improves instrument time response by a factor of eight and permits 1-Hz retrieval of ambient NO and NO2 using a single detector simply by modulating the LEDs on and off. The performance and stability of the Nichia LEDs are further assessed during the CalNex (California Research at the Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Change) field study in May and June of 2010.

Monitoring of atmospheric ozone and nitrogen dioxide over the south of Portugal by ground-based and satellite observations

The SPATRAM (Spectrometer for Atmospheric TRAcers Monitoring) instrument has been developed as a result of the collaboration between CGE-UE, ISAC-CNR and Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and the Environment (ENEA). SPATRAM is a multi-purpose UV-Vis-scanning spectrometer (250 - 950 nm) and it is installed at the Observatory of the CGE, in Evora, since April 2004. A brief description of the instrument is given, highlighting the technological innovations with respect to the previous version of similar equipment. The need for such measurements automatically taken on a routine basis in south-western European regions, specifically in Portugal, has encouraged the development and installation of the equipment and constitutes a major driving force for the present work. The main features and some improvements introduced in the DOAS (Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy) algorithms are discussed. The results obtained applying DOAS methodology to the SPATRAM spectrometer measurements of diffused spectral sky radiation are presented in terms of diurnal and seasonal variations of nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)) and ozone (O(3)). NO(2) confirms the typical seasonal cycle reaching the maximum of (6.5 +/- 0.3) x 10(+15) molecules cm(-2) for the sunset values (PM), during the summer season, and the minimum of (1.55 +/- 0.07) x 10(+15) molecules cm(-2) for the sunrise values (AM) in winter. O(3) presents the maximum total column of (433 +/- 5) Dobson Unit (DU) in the spring season and the minimum of (284 +/- 3) DU during the fall period. The huge daily variations of the O(3) total column during the spring season are analyzed and discussed. The ground-based results obtained for NO(2) and O(3) column contents are compared with data from satellite-borne equipment (GOME - Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment; SCIAMACHY - Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric CHartographY; TOMS - Total Ozone Monitoring Spectrometer) and it is shown that the two data sets are in good agreement. The correlation coefficient for the comparison of the ground-based/satellite data for O(3) is of 0.97.

Fiber Optic Sensor for Simultaneous Determination of Atmospheric Nitrogen Dioxide, Ozone, and Relative Humidity

We describe a novel optical sensor for the simultaneous measurement of atmospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)), ozone (O(3)), and relative humidity (RH). A transparent backing thin layer silica gel chromatographic plate impregnated with 8-amino-1-naphthol-5-sulfonic acid (ANS) is used as the collection/sensor element. The plate transmittance is probed by three discrete light emitting diodes (LEDs) centered, respectively, at 442, 525, and 850 nm. The transmission of the plate changes reversibly across visible to NIR wavelengths as the RH around the plate changes; this is the basis for a limited-resolution RH sensor. The ANS on the plate reacts to form brown and pink colored products, respectively, when it reacts with NO(2) and O(3). The sample air impinges on the plate via an entrance nozzle. The LEDs are alternately turned on in a preprogrammed manner and the light is brought to the impregnated face of the plate by a three-legged fiber optic. The transmitted light is detected on the obverse side of the plate. The 850 nm signal provides the RH value and optionally serves as the reference measurement for the other two wavelengths; the NO(2) and O(3) reaction products do not absorb at this wavelength. The absorbance at 442 and 525 nm, thus referenced against 850 nm, are used to obtain NO(2) and O(3) concentrations from a pair of simultaneous equations. For a sampling period of 5 min, the limits of detection (LOD) based on 3 times the standard deviation of blank responses were 0.64 and 0.42 ppbv for NO(2) and O(3), respectively. Data obtained with collocated commercial instruments (O(3) induced chemiluminescence analyzer for NO(2) and UV-absorption for O(3)) show good agreement. Overall, this provides a viable affordable approach for inexpensive measurement of atmospheric NO(2) and O(3).

Atmospheric correction algorithms for hyperspectral remote sensing data of land and ocean

Hyperspectral imaging data have been collected with different types of imaging spectrometers from aircraft and satellite platforms since the mid-1980s. Because the solar radiation on the sun-surface-sensor path in the 0.4–2.5 µm visible and near-IR spectral regions is subject to absorption and scattering by atmospheric gases and aerosols, the hyperspectral imaging data contains atmospheric effects. In order to use hyperspectral imaging data for quantitative remote sensing of land surfaces and ocean color, the atmospheric effects must be removed. Over the years, atmospheric correction algorithms have evolved from the earlier empirical line method and the flat field method to more recent methods based on rigorous radiative transfer modeling approaches. Here, a review of hyperspectral atmospheric correction techniques is presented. Issues related to spectral smoothing are discussed. Suggestions for improvements to the present atmospheric correction algorithms, mainly the addition of a module for modeling atmospheric nitrogen dioxide absorption effects in the visible, are given.

Molecular characterization of atmospheric NO 2-responsive germin-like proteins in azalea leaves

Atmospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) is an environmental oxidant that is removed through direct uptake by foliage, but plant responses to this highly reactive gas are not well understood at the molecular level. From NO 2-exposed leaves of a woody azalea ( Rhododendron mucronatum), we cloned two cDNAs ( RmGLP1 and RmGLP2) for germin-like proteins (GLPs), a group of ubiquitous plant proteins that have been implicated in various plant physiological and developmental processes. Quantitative analysis of mRNA expression, together with immunoblotting data, showed that foliar exposure to NO 2 caused a robust induction of these GLP-encoding genes. When produced in tobacco cell culture, recombinant RmGLP2 was secreted into the apoplast, where it exhibited superoxide dismutase activity. RmGLP1 and RmGLP2 represent the first examples of plant genes that are responsive to airborne NO 2. These enzymes might have a potential role in extracellular defense mechanisms through attenuation of interactions between reactive nitrogen and oxygen species.

Effect of Atmospheric Nitrogen Dioxide on Mulukhiya (Corchorus olitorius) Growth and Flowering

Effect of Atmospheric Nitrogen Dioxide on Mulukhiya (Corchorus olitorius) Growth and Flowering

Using different spatial scale measurements in a geostatistically based approach for mapping atmospheric nitrogen dioxide concentrations. Application to the French Centre region

AbstractPassive sampling surveys followed by geostatistical data analysis have become a common and efficient approach for mapping background concentrations at regional and urban scales. Traffic‐related pollution is also a matter of concern as regards population exposure but since it acts at shorter spatiotemporal scales, it is usually not integrated in the same maps. However, to provide more comprehensive information to the authorities and the public, the agencies responsible for air quality monitoring are searching for innovative ways of representing background and roadside concentrations together. A methodology based on geostatistics and the examination of the relationships between seasonal nitrogen dioxide concentrations and auxiliary variables is proposed in this study. It is applied to data collected in the French Centre region. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Passive dosimeters for nitrogen dioxide in personal/indoor air sampling: A review

Accurate measurement of nitrogen dioxide concentrations in both outdoor and indoor environments, including personal exposures, is a fundamental step for linking atmospheric nitrogen dioxide levels to potential health and ecological effects. The measurement has been conducted generally in two ways: active (pumped) sampling and passive (diffusive) sampling. Diffusion samplers, initially developed and used for workplace air monitoring, have been found to be useful and cost-effective alternatives to conventional pumped samplers for monitoring ambient, indoor and personal exposures at the lower concentrations found in environmental settings. Since the 1970s, passive samplers have been deployed for ambient air monitoring in urban and rural sites, and to determine personal and indoor exposure to NO2. This article reviews the development of NO2 passive samplers, the sampling characteristics of passive samplers currently available, and their application in ambient and indoor air monitoring and personal exposure studies. The limitations and advantages of the various passive sampler geometries (i.e., tube, badge, and radial type) are also discussed. This review provides researchers and risk assessors with practical information about NO2 passive samplers, especially useful when designing field sampling strategies for exposure and indoor/outdoor air sampling.

Erratum: Atmospheric nitrogen dioxide at ambient levels stimulates growth and development of horticultural plants

Erratum: Atmospheric nitrogen dioxide at ambient levels stimulates growth and development of horticultural plants

Nitrogen Dioxide at an Ambient Level Improves the Capability of Kenaf (Hibiscus Cannabinus) to Decontaminate Cadmium

As reported previously, atmospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at an ambient level increased plant size and the contents of cell constituents. We investigated this effect of atmospheric NO2 on decontamination of cadmium (Cd) by kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus). Seventeen-day-old seedlings of kenaf were grown in air either with NO2 or without NO2. (Plants were exposed to 100 ± 50 ppb NO2 for 10 d under irrigation of 0.1% Hyponex supplemented with 20 μM CdCl2.) Plants were then harvested and the biomass of stems, leaves, and roots, as well as the content of Cd in the organs, was determined. The stem and root biomass per plant were 1.25–1.27-fold greater in +NO2 plants than in –NO2 plants. The Cd content per stem was more than 30% greater in +NO2 plants than in –NO2 plants.