Title: Environmental Chamber Experiments to Evaluate NOx Sinks and Recycling in Atmospheric Chemical Mechanisms

Institution(s) Represented: ENVIRON- Greg Yarwood, University of California at Riverside- William Carter, Smog Reyes- Gary Whitten

Lead PI: Greg Yarwood
AQRP Project Manager: Elena McDonald-Buller
TCEQ Project Liaison: Jim Neece
Awarded Amount: $237,481.00

Executive Summary- Project 10-042
Environmental Chamber Experiments to Evaluate NOx Sinks and Recycling in Atmospheric Chemical Mechanisms

Formation of ground level ozone requires both NOx and VOCs and air quality management planning seeks the combination of NOx and VOC emission reductions that will most effectively reduce ozone. When VOCs undergo chemical reactions in the atmosphere they can reduce the availability of NOx by converting it to un-reactive chemical compounds, called NOx sinks. The chemical reactions of VOCs with NOx can be characterized by environmental chamber experiments which expose controlled amounts of VOC and NOx to light and measure the products (e.g., ozone) that are formed. This project will carry out new environmental chamber experiments to characterize NOx sinks for VOCs that are poorly understood (e.g., toluene, isoprene). At the same time, a literature search will be performed for chamber experiments performed in Europe that have not been utilized in the US for developing chemical mechanisms. The data obtained will be used to improve the chemical reaction mechanisms that are used in the TCEQ's State Implementation Plan (SIP) ozone modeling and control strategy development. The project benefit will be more accurate modeling of the ozone benefits of emission control strategies in Texas and elsewhere.

Work Plan: projectinfo\10-042\10-042 Work Plan.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-042\10-042 Tech Report Nov 2010.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-042\10-042 Tech Report Dec 2010.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-042\10-042 Tech Report Jan 2011.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-042\10-042 Tech Report Feb 2011.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-042\10-042 Tech Report Mar 2011.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-042\10-042 Tech Report Apr 2011.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-042\10-042 Tech Report May 2011.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-042\10-042 Tech Report Jun 2011.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-042\10-042 Tech Report Jul 2011.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-042\10-042 Tech Report Aug 2011.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-042\10-042 Tech Report Sep 2011.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-042\10-042 Tech Report Oct 2011.pdf

QAPP: projectinfo\10-042\10-042 QAPP.pdf

Final Report: projectinfo\10-042\10-042 Final Report.pdf

Publications & Citations
Heo, G., McDonald-Buller, E.C., Carter, W.P.L., Yarwood, G., Whitten, G.Z. and Allen, D.T. "Modeling Ozone Formation from Alkene Reactions using the Carbon Bond Chemical Mechanism, Atmospheric Environment, 59, 141-150, DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2012.05.042 (2012). Heo, G. Y. Kimura, E. McDonald-Buller, D. T. Allen, G. Yarwood, G. Z. Whitten Evaluation of a New Toluene Mechanism For Carbon Bond 05 Using Environmental Chamber Data and Ambient Data, Air and Waste Management Association Annual Meeting, Paper #154, Detroit, June 2009 In preparation for Atmospheric Environment: Environmental chamber experiments to evaluate NOx removal and recycling represented in atmospheric mechanisms for air quality modeling Gookyoung Heo, William Carter, Greg Yarwood, Gary Z. Whitten, David T. Allen In preparation for Atmospheric Environment: Evaluation of mechanisms for modeling ozone formation from isoprene in SAPRC-07 and CB6 using environmental chamber data with low initial NOx Gookyoung Heo, William Carter, Greg Yarwood