Atmospheric pollutant emissions during Arctic wildfires

Wildfire events in the state of Alaska emit chemicals that affect air quality at the fire and downwind. To study this problem, we compare the abundance of atmospheric pollutants during wildfire events to days outside these events. We present observations of atmospheric pollutants like formaldehyde (HCHO), glyoxal (CHOCHO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) in Alaska. HCHO, CHOCHO and NO2 levels were measured by remote sensing using Multiple AXis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) at three different sites across Alaska which include Fairbanks (a small city in Interior Alaska), Toolik Lake Field Station (North Slope of Alaska) and Delta Junction (remote Interior Alaska), which have been taking year round observations since 2017, 2019 and 2022 respectively. Observations of CO concentrations were performed in Fairbanks by a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy remote sensing analyzer. There were enhancements of HCHO, CHOCHO and NO2 seen in the presence of wildfires and downwind. HCHO and CHOCHO are both species with high atmospheric significance as they lead to the formation of hydroxyl (OH) and hydroperoxy radicals (HO2), which drive ozone (O3) production and affect secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particle formation.