Real-time gas and particle-phase organic acids measurement at a forest site using chemical ionization high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry during BEACHON-RoMBAS

We present measurement of organic acids in gas and aerosol particles conducted in a ponderosa pine forest during July and August 2011 as part of the Bio-hydro-atmosphere interactions of Energy, Aerosols, Carbon, H2O, Organics & Nitrogen - Rocky Mountain Biogenic Aerosol Study (BEACHON-RoMBAS; http://tinyurl.com/BEACHON-RoMBAS). The measurement technique is based on chemical ionization, high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry and utilizes a Micro-Orifice Volatilization Impactor [MOVI-CI-HR-ToFMS; Yatavelli et al., AS&T, 2010] to collect sub-micron aerosol particles while simultaneously measuring the gas-phase composition. The collected particles are subsequently analyzed by temperature-programmed thermal desorption. The reagent ion chosen for this campaign is the acetate anion (CH3C(O)O-, m/z 59), which reacts selectively via proton transfer with compounds that are stronger gas-phase acids than acetic acid [Veres et al., IJMS, 2008]. Preliminary results show substantial particle-phase concentrations of biogenic oxidation products such as hydroxy-glutaric acid, pinic acid, pinonic acid, and hydroxy-pinonic acid along with numerous lower and higher molecular weight organic acids. Correlations of the organic acid concentrations with meteorological, gas and aerosol parameters measured by other instrumentation are investigated in order to understand the formation, transformation, and partitioning of gas and particle-phase organic acids in a forested environment dominated by terpenes.