Characterization of organic compounds collected during southeastern aerosol and visibility study: water-soluble...

As part of the Southeastern Aerosol and Visibility Study (SEAVS), water-soluble organic species (WSOS) in fine aerosols collected from July 15 to August 25, 1995, at the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Tennessee (USA), were chemically classified into seven groups, with concentrations ranging from around 1 to >200 ng/m3. Dicarboxylic acids represented the dominant identified compound class, and succinic acid was the most abundant dicarboxylic acid. The trends in data suggest that most WSOS collected in the SEAVS samples were mainly generated from secondary photochemical reactions, especially during the first (cleaner) half of the sampling campaign. High relative humidity at the sampling site resulted in substantial water uptake by the aerosols, which may have enhanced the levels of succinic acid by reducing its rate of photooxidation. Concurrent trends in malic and malonic acid concentrations suggest these were generated from the oxidation of succinic acid. Consistent with the conversion of 3-hydroxypropanoic acid to malonic acid, it appears that 4-hydroxybutanoic acid served as a major precursor contributing to high levels of succinic acid in the daytime. Nocturnal WSOS generally followed the trend of diurnal WSOS, but they exhibited different chemical compositions and lower concentrations, unlike what has been reported for an urban site. A nocturnal-to-diurnal ratio of succinic acid larger than 0.25 may indicate an atmosphere dominated by photochemical reactions, rather than by primary emissions.