Seasonal volatility dependence of ambient particle phase amines

During the summer and fall of 2005 in Riverside, California, the seasonal volatility behavior of submicrometer aerosol particles was investigated by coupling an automated thermodenuder system to an online single-particle mass spectrometer. A strong seasonal dependence was observed for the gas/particle partitioning of alkylamines within individual ambient submicrometer aged organic carbon particles internally mixed with ammonium, nitrate, and sulfate. In the summer, the amines were strongly correlated with nitrate and sulfate, suggesting the presence of aminium nitrate and sulfate salts which were nonvolatile and comprised approximately 6-9% of the average particle mass at 230 degrees C. In the fall, 86 +/- 1% of the amines volatilized below 113 degrees C with aminium nitrate and sulfate salts representing less than 1% of the particle mass at 230 degrees C. In the summer, a more acidic particle core led to protonation of the amines and subsequent formation of aminium sulfate and nitrate salts; whereas, in the fall, the particles contained more ammonium and thus were less acidic, causing fewer aminium salts to form. Therefore, the acidity of individual particles can greatly affect gas/particle partitioning of organic species in the atmosphere, and the concentrations of amines, as strong bases, should be included in estimations of aerosol pH.