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A biomass burning source of C 1 –C 4 alkyl nitrates
Author(s) -
Simpson Isobel J.,
Meinardi Simone,
Blake Donald R.,
Blake Nicola J.,
Rowland F. Sherwood,
Atlas Elliot,
Flocke Frank
Publication year - 2002
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 - 10.1029/2002gl016290
Subject(s) - nitrate , alkyl , mixing ratio , mixing (physics) , chemistry , biomass burning , radical , environmental chemistry , organic chemistry , aerosol , physics , quantum mechanics
We report the first observations of the emission of five C 1 –C 4 alkyl nitrates (methyl‐, ethyl‐, n ‐propyl‐, i ‐propyl‐, and 2‐butyl nitrate) from savanna burning. Average alkyl nitrate mixing ratios in the immediate vicinity of three bushfires in Northern Australia were 47–122 times higher than local background mixing ratios. These are the highest alkyl nitrate mixing ratios we have ever detected, with maximum mixing ratios exceeding 3 ppbv for methyl nitrate. Methyl nitrate dominated the alkyl nitrate emissions during the flaming stage of savanna burning, whereas C 2 –C 4 alkyl nitrates were mostly emitted during the smoldering stage. To explain the formation of alkyl nitrates from biomass burning, we propose a reaction mechanism involving the combination of reactive radicals at high temperature. Bearing in mind the uncertainties associated with extrapolating small data sets to much larger scales, alkyl nitrate emissions from global savanna burning are estimated to be on the order of 8 Gg/yr.