Measurement of hydrogen peroxide and organic hydroperoxide concentrations during autumn in Beijing, China

Gaseous peroxides play important roles in atmospheric chemistry. To understand the pathways of the formation and removal of peroxides, atmospheric peroxide concentrations and their controlling factors were measured from 7:00 to 20:00 in September, October, and November 2013 at a heavily trafficked residential site in Beijing, China, with average concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and methyl hydroperoxide (MHP) at 0.55ppb and 0.063ppb, respectively. H₂O₂ concentrations were higher in the afternoon and lower in the morning and evening, while MHP concentrations did not exhibit a regular diurnal pattern. Both H₂O₂ and MHP concentrations increased at dusk in most cases. Both peroxides displayed monthly variations with higher concentrations in September. These results suggested that photochemical activity was the main controlling factor on variations of H₂O₂ concentrations during the measurement period. Increasing concentrations of volatile organic compounds emitted by motor vehicles were important contributors to H₂O₂ and MHP enrichment. High levels of H₂O₂ and MHP concentrations which occurred during the measurement period probably resulted from the transport of a polluted air mass with high water vapor content passing over the Bohai Bay, China.