Photosensitizers Regulate Nitrate Photoproduct Yields in Bulk Aqueous Matrices.

Photolysis of nitrate (NO) in the presence of photosensitizers is thought to promote the release of atmospherically important reactive nitrogen species (NO), such as HONO, via mechanisms that are poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted photochemistry studies on mixtures of NO, a model photosensitizer [4-benzoylbenzoic acid (4-BBA)], and various aliphatic organic matter proxies. We found that aliphatic organic matter enhances the production of NO and superoxide (O) from bulk aqueous nitrate photolysis, while the addition of 4-BBA decreases NO and O yields in most cases.

The forest, the cicadas and the holey fluxes: Periodical cicada impacts on soil respiration depends on tree mycorrhizal type.

The emergence of billions of periodical cicadas affects plant and animal communities profoundly, yet little is known about cicada impacts on soil carbon fluxes. We investigated the effects of Brood X cicadas (Magicicada septendecim, M. cassinii and M.

Daytime Atmospheric Halogen Cycling through Aqueous-Phase Oxygen Atom Chemistry.

Halogen atoms are important atmospheric oxidants that have unidentified daytime sources from photochemical halide oxidation in sea salt aerosols. Here, we show that the photolysis of nitrate in aqueous chloride solutions generates nitryl chloride (ClNO) in addition to Cl and HOCl. Experimental and modeling evidence suggests that O(P) formed in the minor photolysis channel from nitrate oxidizes chloride to Cl and HOCl, which reacts with nitrite to form ClNO.

HONO Measurement by Catalytic Conversion to NO on Nafion Surfaces.

A selective catalytic converter has been developed to quantify nitrous acid (HONO), a photochemical precursor to NO and OH radicals that drives the formation of ozone and other pollutants in the troposphere. The converter is made from a sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene-based fluoropolymer-copolymer (Nafion) that was found to convert HONO to NO with unity yield under specific conditions. When coupled to a commercially available NO (=NO + NO) chemiluminescence (CL) analyzer, the system measures HONO with a limit of detection as low as 64 parts-per-trillion (ppt) (1 min average) in addition to NO.

Surface Charge Measurements with Scanning Ion Conductance Microscopy Provide Insights into Nitrous Acid Speciation at the Kaolin Mineral-Air Interface.

Unique surface properties of aluminosilicate clay minerals arise from anisotropic distribution of surface charge across their layered structures. Yet, a molecular-level understanding of clay mineral surfaces has been hampered by the lack of analytical techniques capable of measuring surface charges at the nanoscale. This is important for understanding the reactivity, colloidal stability, and ion-exchange capacity properties of clay minerals, which constitute a major fraction of global soils.

Nitrogen cycling microbiomes are structured by plant mycorrhizal associations with consequences for nitrogen oxide fluxes in forests.

Volatile nitrogen oxides (N O, NO, NO , HONO, …) can negatively impact climate, air quality, and human health. Using soils collected from temperate forests across the eastern United States, we show microbial communities involved in nitrogen (N) cycling are structured, in large part, by the composition of overstory trees, leading to predictable N-cycling syndromes, with consequences for emissions of volatile nitrogen oxides to air. Trees associating with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi promote soil microbial communities with higher N-cycle potential and activity, relative to microbial communities in soils dominated by trees associating with ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi.

Microbial mechanisms and ecosystem flux estimation for aerobic NO emissions from deciduous forest soils.

Reactive nitrogen oxides (NO; NO = NO + NO + HONO) decrease air quality and impact radiative forcing, yet the factors responsible for their emission from nonpoint sources (i.e., soils) remain poorly understood.

Hidden complexities in the reaction of HO and HNO revealed by ab initio quantum chemical investigations.

Nitroxyl (HNO) and hydrogen peroxide have both been implicated in a variety of reactions relevant to environmental and physiological processes and may contribute to a unique, unexplored, pathway for the production of nitrous acid (HONO) in soil. To investigate the potential for this reaction, we report an in-depth investigation of the reaction pathway of HO and HNO forming HONO and water. We find the breaking of the peroxide bond and a coupled proton transfer in the first step leads to hydrogen nitryl (HNO) and an endogenous water, with an extrapolated NEVPT2 (multireference perturbation theory) barrier of 29.

Evidence for Quinone Redox Chemistry Mediating Daytime and Nighttime NO-to-HONO Conversion on Soil Surfaces.

Humic acid (HA) is thought to promote NO conversion to nitrous acid (HONO) on soil surfaces during the day. However, it has proven difficult to identify the reactive sites in natural HA substrates. The mechanism of NO reduction on soil surrogates composed of HA and clay minerals was studied by use of a coated-wall flow reactor and cavity-enhanced spectroscopy.

The Role of Iron-Bearing Minerals in NO2 to HONO Conversion on Soil Surfaces.

Nitrous acid (HONO) accumulates in the nocturnal boundary layer where it is an important source of daytime hydroxyl radicals. Although there is clear evidence for the involvement of heterogeneous reactions of NO2 on surfaces as a source of HONO, mechanisms remain poorly understood. We used coated-wall flow tube measurements of NO2 reactivity on environmentally relevant surfaces (Fe (hydr)oxides, clay minerals, and soil from Arizona and the Saharan Desert) and detailed mineralogical characterization of substrates to show that reduction of NO2 by Fe-bearing minerals in soil can be a more important source of HONO than the putative NO2 hydrolysis mechanism.

Combined Flux Chamber and Genomics Approach Links Nitrous Acid Emissions to Ammonia Oxidizing Bacteria and Archaea in Urban and Agricultural Soil.

Nitrous acid (HONO) is a photochemical source of hydroxyl radical and nitric oxide in the atmosphere that stems from abiotic and biogenic processes, including the activity of ammonia-oxidizing soil microbes. HONO fluxes were measured from agricultural and urban soil in mesocosm studies aimed at characterizing biogenic sources and linking them to indigenous microbial consortia. Fluxes of HONO from agricultural and urban soil were suppressed by addition of a nitrification inhibitor and enhanced by amendment with ammonium (NH4(+)), with peaks at 19 and 8 ng m(-2) s(-1), respectively.

Soil surface acidity plays a determining role in the atmospheric-terrestrial exchange of nitrous acid.

Nitrous acid (HONO) is an important hydroxyl (OH) radical source that is formed on both ground and aerosol surfaces in the well-mixed boundary layer. Recent studies report the release of HONO from nonacidic soils, although it is unclear how soil that is more basic than the pKa of HONO (∼ 3) is capable of protonating soil nitrite to serve as an atmospheric HONO source. Here, we used a coated-wall flow tube and chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS) to study the pH dependence of HONO uptake onto agricultural soil and model substrates under atmospherically relevant conditions (1 atm and 30% relative humidity).

Release of nitrous acid and nitrogen dioxide from nitrate photolysis in acidic aqueous solutions.

Nitrate (NO3(-)) is an abundant component of aerosols, boundary layer surface films, and surface water. Photolysis of NO3(-) leads to NO2 and HONO, both of which play important roles in tropospheric ozone and OH production. Field and laboratory studies suggest that NO3¯ photochemistry is a more important source of HONO than once thought, although a mechanistic understanding of the variables controlling this process is lacking.

Uptake of gas phase nitrous acid onto boundary layer soil surfaces.

Nitrous acid (HONO) is an important OH radical source that is formed on both ground and aerosol surfaces in the well-mixed boundary layer. Large uncertainties remain in quantifying HONO sinks and determining the mechanism of HONO uptake onto surfaces. We report here the first laboratory determination of HONO uptake coefficients onto actual soil under atmospheric conditions using a coated-wall flow tube coupled to a highly sensitive chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS).

Photooxidation of ammonia on TiO2 as a source of NO and NO2 under atmospheric conditions.

Ammonia is the most abundant reduced nitrogen species in the atmosphere and an important precursor in the industrial-scale production of nitric acid. A coated-wall flow tube coupled to a chemiluminescence NOx analyzer was used to study the kinetics of NH3 uptake and NOx formation from photochemistry initiated on irradiated (λ > 290 nm) TiO2 surfaces under atmospherically relevant conditions. The speciation of NH3 on TiO2 surfaces in the presence of surface-adsorbed water was determined using diffuse reflection infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy.

Thermal and photochemical oxidation of self-assembled monolayers on alumina particles exposed to nitrogen dioxide.

Alumina is an important component of airborne dust particles as well as of building materials and soils found in the tropospheric boundary layer. While the uptake and reactions of oxides of nitrogen and their photochemistry on alumina have been reported in the past, little is known about the chemistry when organics are also present. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy at ∼23 °C was used to study reactions of NO(2) on γ-Al(2)O(3) particles that had been derivatized using 7-octenyltrichlorosilane to form a self-assembled monolayer (SAM).

Hydroxyl radical quantum yields from isopropyl nitrite photolysis in air.

Alkyl nitrites photolyze in air to yield alkoxy radicals and NO which, through secondary reactions, generate OH radicals. This photochemistry is important in the atmosphere and in laboratory studies where nitrites are often used as a source of OH. The overall quantum yield for hydroxyl radical formation from irradiation of isopropyl nitrite (i-C(3)H(7)ONO) between 300 and 425 nm in 1 atm air at 296 ± 2 K is reported for the first time.

Catalytic role for water in the atmospheric production of ClNO.

High level ab initio calculations of clusters comprised of water, HCl, and ON-ONO(2) are used to study nitrosyl chloride (ClNO) formation in gas phase water clusters, which are also mimics for thin water films present at environmental interfaces. Two pathways are considered, direct formation from the reaction of gaseous HCl with ON-ONO(2) and an indirect pathway involving the hydrolysis of ON-ONO(2) to form HONO, followed by the reaction of HONO with HCl to form ClNO. Surprisingly, direct formation of ClNO is found to be the dominant channel in the presence of water despite the possibility of a competing hydrolysis of ON-ONO(2) to form HONO.

Chlorine activation indoors and outdoors via surface-mediated reactions of nitrogen oxides with hydrogen chloride.

Gaseous HCl generated from a variety of sources is ubiquitous in both outdoor and indoor air. Oxides of nitrogen (NO(y)) are also globally distributed, because NO formed in combustion processes is oxidized to NO(2), HNO(3), N(2)O(5) and a variety of other nitrogen oxides during transport. Deposition of HCl and NO(y) onto surfaces is commonly regarded as providing permanent removal mechanisms.

Complexes of HNO3 and NO3 - with NO2 and N2O4, and their potential role in atmospheric HONO formation.

Calculations were performed to determine the structures, energetics, and spectroscopy of the atmospherically relevant complexes (HNO(3)).(NO(2)), (HNO(3)).(N(2)O(4)), (NO(3)(-)).

Deposition versus photochemical removal of PBDEs from Lake Superior air.

Analysis of a sediment core collected from Siskiwit Lake, located on a remote island in Lake Superior, provides evidence that polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are removed effectively from the atmosphere via deposition processes during long-range transport. A mass balance model based on photochemical rate constants and data from atmospheric samples was created to understand the relative importance of various photochemical and deposition processes in removing PBDEs from the atmosphere. Photolysis rate constants were derived from UV absorption spectra of 25 PBDEs recorded in isooctane over the range of 280-350 nm at 298 K.

Gas-phase reactions of brominated diphenyl ethers with OH radicals.

A small volume reaction chamber coupled to a mass spectrometer was used to study the gas-phase kinetics and mechanism of the reaction of OH radicals with diphenyl ether and seven polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) with 1-2 bromines. Relative rate constants for these reactions were determined using isopropyl nitrite photolysis in He-air mixtures at approximately 740 Torr between the temperatures of 326-388 K. The Arrhenius expression for each compound was used to extrapolate the following OH rate constants at 298 K (in units of 10(-12) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1), with 95% confidence intervals): diphenyl ether, 7.

Relative rate and product studies of the OH-acetone reaction.

The rate constants for the reaction of acetone (kH) and d6-acetone (kD) with OH radicals have been measured at atmospheric pressure over a range of temperatures by a relative rate method by using on-line mass spectrometry. The following Arrhenius expressions have been determined for these reactions (in units of cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1)): k(H)(T) = (9.8 x 10(-13)) exp[-(484 +/- 44)/T] between 253 and 373 K, and kD(T) = (4.

Transport of suspended-sediment-bound toxaphene in the Mississippi River.

Suspended sediment samples from approximately 30 locations along the Mississippi River and six of its major tributaries were collected during July and August 2002 and March 2003 to investigate the distribution and transport of toxaphene in the Mississippi River. The concentration of toxaphene was measured, and the load of toxaphene carried by the river at each site was calculated using water discharge and suspended sediment concentrations. Results indicate that toxaphene is widespread throughout the Mississippi River Basin with the highest concentrations and loads observed for samples collected in the Lower Mississippi River.