Unprecedented Ambient Sulfur Trioxide (SO) Detection: Possible Formation Mechanism and Atmospheric Implications

Overview

Journal Environ Sci Technol Lett

Publisher American Chemical Society

Date 2020 Nov 16

PMID 33195731

Citations 7

Authors

Lei Yao

Xiaolong Fan

Chao Yan

Theo Kurten

Kaspar R Daellenbach

Chang Li

Yonghong Wang

Yishuo Guo

Lubna Dada

Matti P Rissanen

Jing Cai

Yee Jun Tham

Qiaozhi Zha

Shaojun Zhang

Wei Du

Miao Yu

Feixue Zheng

Ying Zhou

Jenni Kontkanen

Tommy Chan

Jiali Shen

Joni T Kujansuu

Juha Kangasluoma

Jingkun Jiang

Lin Wang

Douglas R Worsnop

Tuukka Petaja

Veli-Matti Kerminen

Yongchun Liu

Biwu Chu

Hong He

Markku Kulmala

Federico Bianchi

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Sulfur trioxide (SO) is a crucial compound for atmospheric sulfuric acid (HSO) formation, acid rain formation, and other atmospheric physicochemical processes. During the daytime, SO is mainly produced from the photo-oxidation of SO by OH radicals. However, the sources of SO during the early morning and night, when OH radicals are scarce, are not fully understood. We report results from two field measurements in urban Beijing during winter and summer 2019, using a nitrate-CI-APi-LTOF (chemical ionization-atmospheric pressure interface-long-time-of-flight) mass spectrometer to detect atmospheric SO and HSO. Our results show the level of SO was higher during the winter than during the summer, with high SO levels observed especially during the early morning (∼05:00 to ∼08:30) and night (∼18:00 to ∼05:00 the next day). On the basis of analysis of SO, NO , black carbon, traffic flow, and atmospheric ions, we suggest SO could be formed from the catalytic oxidation of SO on the surface of traffic-related black carbon. This previously unidentified SO source results in significant HSO formation in the early morning and thus promotes sub-2.5 nm particle formation. These findings will help in understanding urban SO and formulating policies to mitigate secondary particle formation in Chinese megacities.

Citing Articles

Direct Measurements of Covalently Bonded Sulfuric Anhydrides from Gas-Phase Reactions of SO with Acids under Ambient Conditions.

Kumar A, Iyer S, Barua S, Brean J, Besic E, Seal P J Am Chem Soc. 2024; 146(22):15562-15575.

PMID: 38771742 PMC: 11157540. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c04531.

Characterizing Volatile Emissions and Combustion Byproducts from Aqueous Film-Forming Foams Using Online Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry.

Mattila J, Krug J, Roberson W, Burnette R, McDonald S, Virtaranta L Environ Sci Technol. 2024; 58(8):3942-3952.

PMID: 38350647 PMC: 10985785. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09255.

Identification of sources of coarse mode aerosol particles (PM) using ATR-FTIR and SEM-EDX spectroscopy over the Himalayan Region of India.

Gupta S, Shankar S, Kuniyal J, Srivastava P, Lata R, Chaudhary S Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2024; 31(10):15788-15808.

PMID: 38305978 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-31973-3.

Wintertime Formation of Large Sulfate Particles in China and Implications for Human Health.

Zhang Q, Wang Y, Liu M, Zheng M, Yuan L, Liu J Environ Sci Technol. 2023; 57(48):20010-20023.

PMID: 37909663 PMC: 10702544. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c05645.

Direct sulfuric acid formation from the gas-phase oxidation of reduced-sulfur compounds.

Berndt T, Hoffmann E, Tilgner A, Stratmann F, Herrmann H Nat Commun. 2023; 14(1):4849.

PMID: 37563153 PMC: 10415363. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40586-2.

References

Bandyopadhyay B, Kumar P, Biswas P . Ammonia Catalyzed Formation of Sulfuric Acid in Troposphere: The Curious Case of a Base Promoting Acid Rain. J Phys Chem A. 2017; 121(16):3101-3108. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.7b01172. View

Anglada J, Hoffman G, Slipchenko L, Costa M, Ruiz-Lopez M, Francisco J . Atmospheric significance of water clusters and ozone-water complexes. J Phys Chem A. 2013; 117(40):10381-96. DOI: 10.1021/jp407282c. View

Ronkko T, Kuuluvainen H, Karjalainen P, Keskinen J, Hillamo R, Niemi J . Traffic is a major source of atmospheric nanocluster aerosol. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017; 114(29):7549-7554. PMC: 5530662. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1700830114. View

Kampa M, Castanas E . Human health effects of air pollution. Environ Pollut. 2007; 151(2):362-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2007.06.012. View

Larssen T, Lydersen E, Tang D, He Y, Gao J, Liu H . Acid rain in China. Environ Sci Technol. 2006; 40(2):418-25. View

Berndt T, Scholz W, Mentler B, Fischer L, Hoffmann E, Tilgner A . Fast Peroxy Radical Isomerization and OH Recycling in the Reaction of OH Radicals with Dimethyl Sulfide. J Phys Chem Lett. 2019; 10(21):6478-6483. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b02567. View

Yao L, Garmash O, Bianchi F, Zheng J, Yan C, Kontkanen J . Atmospheric new particle formation from sulfuric acid and amines in a Chinese megacity. Science. 2018; 361(6399):278-281. DOI: 10.1126/science.aao4839. View

Srivastava R, Miller C, Erickson C, Jambhekar R . Emissions of sulfur trioxide from coal-fired power plants. J Air Waste Manag Assoc. 2004; 54(6):750-62. DOI: 10.1080/10473289.2004.10470943. View

Welz O, Savee J, Osborn D, Vasu S, Percival C, Shallcross D . Direct kinetic measurements of Criegee intermediate (CH₂OO) formed by reaction of CH₂I with O₂. Science. 2012; 335(6065):204-7. DOI: 10.1126/science.1213229. View

10.

Kulmala M, Kontkanen J, Junninen H, Lehtipalo K, Manninen H, Nieminen T . Direct observations of atmospheric aerosol nucleation. Science. 2013; 339(6122):943-6. DOI: 10.1126/science.1227385. View

11.

Li H, Zhong J, Vehkamaki H, Kurten T, Wang W, Ge M . Self-Catalytic Reaction of SO and NH To Produce Sulfamic Acid and Its Implication to Atmospheric Particle Formation. J Am Chem Soc. 2018; 140(35):11020-11028. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b04928. View

12.

Liu J, Mauzerall D, Chen Q, Zhang Q, Song Y, Peng W . Air pollutant emissions from Chinese households: A major and underappreciated ambient pollution source. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016; 113(28):7756-61. PMC: 4948343. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1604537113. View

13.

Sipila M, Berndt T, Petaja T, Brus D, Vanhanen J, Stratmann F . The role of sulfuric acid in atmospheric nucleation. Science. 2010; 327(5970):1243-6. DOI: 10.1126/science.1180315. View

14.

He G, He H . DFT studies on the heterogeneous oxidation of SO by oxygen functional groups on graphene. Phys Chem Chem Phys. 2016; 18(46):31691-31697. DOI: 10.1039/c6cp06665h. View

15.

Liu L, Zhong J, Vehkamaki H, Kurten T, Du L, Zhang X . Unexpected quenching effect on new particle formation from the atmospheric reaction of methanol with SO. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019; 116(50):24966-24971. PMC: 6911219. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1915459116. View

16.

Zhang F, Wang Y, Peng J, Chen L, Sun Y, Duan L . An unexpected catalyst dominates formation and radiative forcing of regional haze. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020; 117(8):3960-3966. PMC: 7049161. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1919343117. View

17.

Lu K, Fuchs H, Hofzumahaus A, Tan Z, Wang H, Zhang L . Fast Photochemistry in Wintertime Haze: Consequences for Pollution Mitigation Strategies. Environ Sci Technol. 2019; 53(18):10676-10684. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b02422. View

18.

Kurten A, Rondo L, Ehrhart S, Curtius J . Calibration of a chemical ionization mass spectrometer for the measurement of gaseous sulfuric acid. J Phys Chem A. 2012; 116(24):6375-86. DOI: 10.1021/jp212123n. View

19.

Chen H, Wang M, Yao L, Chen J, Wang L . Uptake of Gaseous Alkylamides by Suspended Sulfuric Acid Particles: Formation of Ammonium/Aminium Salts. Environ Sci Technol. 2017; 51(20):11710-11717. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b03175. View

20.

Roy B, Chen L, Bhattacharya S . Nitrogen oxides, sulfur trioxide, and mercury emissions during oxy-fuel fluidized bed combustion of Victorian brown coal. Environ Sci Technol. 2014; 48(24):14844-50. DOI: 10.1021/es504667r. View