What's in the air now? Analysis of ppb levels of photochemical smog components in air using a portable analyzer

 

242nd ACS National Meeting, Denver, CO

Document ID: 18472

Program Area: SCHB: Division of Small Chemical Businesses

Symposium Title: (SCHB015) Sci-Mix

INSTITUTIONS

1. PID Analyzers, LLC, Sandwich, MA, 02563, United States

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AUTHORS

1. Jennifer L. Maclachlan, Managing Director, 2 Washington Circle, #4, Sandwich, MA, 02563, United States

2. John N. Driscoll, 2 Washington Circle, #4, Sandwich, MA, 02563, United States

Abstract Body: A number of cities in the U.S., including Denver, have problems with high levels of ozone and/or photochemical smog. This phenomenon, first observed in the Los Angles basin area in the 1950's, is still not well understood. Fixed monitoring stations have been established for several decades, but the data collected and subsequent analysis leaves an incomplete understanding of the ozone and photochemical smog formation problem. A portable analyzer, capable of being deployed when traffic and weather conditions warrant, could provide more valuable data to help address the issues of "what is in the air now?" We have developed a portable analyzer for monitoring three of the pollutants that contribute to photochemical smog formation: volatile organic compounds, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide. The analyzer incorporates a photoionization detector that measures VOC's at 1 ppb, and electrochemical sensors for O₃ at 10 ppb and NO₂ at 20 ppb. We present the precision and accuracy in the lab and field, as well as comparisons with a continuous monitoring network for the same pollutants.