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Limited influence of dry deposition of semivolatile organic vapors on secondary organic aerosol formation in the urban plume
Author(s) -
Hodzic A.,
Madronich S.,
Aumont B.,
LeeTaylor J.,
Karl T.,
Camredon M.,
MouchelVallon C.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/grl.50611
Subject(s) - aerosol , plume , environmental chemistry , deposition (geology) , sink (geography) , condensation , atmosphere (unit) , chemistry , particle (ecology) , environmental science , organic chemistry , meteorology , geology , paleontology , physics , oceanography , cartography , sediment , geography
The dry deposition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and its impact on secondary organic aerosols (SOA) are investigated in the Mexico City plume. Gas‐phase chemistry and gas‐particle partitioning of oxygenated VOCs are modeled with the Generator of Explicit Chemistry and Kinetics of Organics in the Atmosphere (GECKO‐A) from C 3 to C 25 alkanes, alkenes, and light aromatics. Results show that dry deposition of oxidized gases is not an efficient sink for SOA, as it removes <5% of SOA within the city's boundary layer and ~15% downwind. Dry deposition competes with the gas‐particle uptake, and only gases with fewer than ~12 carbons dry deposit while longer species partition to SOA. Because dry deposition of submicron aerosols is slow, condensation onto particles protects organic gases from deposition, thus increasing their atmospheric burden and lifetime. In the absence of this condensation, ~50% of the regionally produced mass would have been dry deposited.