The chemical composition of nanoparticles formed from the oxidation of real plant emissions

Organic vapors from biosphere emissions clearly participate in the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). Thereby volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are transformed by photolytic reactions to low volatility organic compounds capable of condensing onto particles even in a size range where the strong curvature typically prevents vapor condensation by most other condensable vapors (Kelvin effect). However, the exact compounds responsible for nanoparticle formation and growth largely remain unknown. In this study we conducted chamber experiments under well-defined conditions to investigate chemical and physical properties of aerosol particles formed from oxidation products of real plant emissions. The chamber used comprises of a 10 m^3 Teflon FEP bag, operated at room temperature. Emissions from specific plants, e.g., a pine tree, can be added to the chamber and may produce aerosol particles after oxidation with ozone and/or OH. Gas chromatographs, trace gas analyzers, and aerosol sizing instruments provide a comprehensive set of instruments to analyze gas phase composition and aerosol size distribution. The chemical composition of nanoparticles at a pre-selected size is analyzed with the thermal desorption chemical ionization mass spectrometer (TDCIMS) (Smith & Rathbone, Int. J. Mass Spectrom. 274, 8 (2008)) providing positive and negative ion mass spectra with a time resolution of about 10 minutes. Here we present results from the emissions of ponderosa pine, the dominant tree species in the Rocky Mountains. These data are directly compared to measurements obtained by the TDCIMS during the BEACHON-SRM08 field campaign, which took place from 15 July - 15 August 2008 at the NCAR Manitou Forest Observatory near Woodland Park, CO. This comparison also gives insight into the ability of these chambers to simulate biogenic SOA formation.