OBSERVATION OF MALIC ACID AND OTHER C4 DICARBOXYLIC ACIDS IN ATMOSPHERIC AEROSOL SAMPLES

• Published in: Journal of aerosol science Vol. 32; pp. 507 - 508
• Main Authors: RÖHRL, A., LAMMEL, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-09-2001
• Subjects: atmospheric aerosols; dicarboxylic acids; particulate organic matter; particulate organic matter; atmospheric aerosols; dicarboxylic acids
• ISSN: 0021-8502; 1879-1964
• DOI: 10.1016/S0021-8502(21)00234-2

Being late products in the photochemistry of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons and due to the low vapor pressure being almost entirely partitioning to the particulate phase, the dicarboxylic acids constitute an important fraction of the water soluble part of particulate organic matter (POM) in atmospheric aerosol particles at remote, rural and urban sites (Kawamura and Usukura, 1993; Sempere and Kawamura, 1994; Limbeck and Puxbaum, 1999; Roehrl and Lammel, 2001). Based on laboratory studies, it is likely that C4 fragments are important intermediates in the atmospheric chemistry of simple anthropogenic aromatic hydrocarbons. Their incomplete oxidation would lead to substituted and unsubstituted, saturated and unsaturated C4 diacids. Most biogenic volatile organic compounds are considered not to form POM. C4 fragments could be formed in terpene photochemistry, but no low-molecular (< C6) products could be identified so far.