Springtime Nitrogen Oxide-Influenced Chlorine Chemistry in the Coastal Arctic
Atomic chlorine (Cl) is a strong atmospheric oxidant that shortens the lifetimes of pollutants and methane in the springtime Arctic, where the molecular halogens Cl2 and BrCl are known Cl precursors. Here, we quantify the contributions of reactive chlorine trace gases and present the first observati...
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Language: | English |
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b01797 |
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ftncar:oai:drupal-site.org:articles_22698 2023-09-05T13:16:20+02:00 Springtime Nitrogen Oxide-Influenced Chlorine Chemistry in the Coastal Arctic McNamara, Stephen M. (author) W. Raso, Angela R. (author) Wang, Siyuan (author) Thanekar, Sham (author) Boone, Eric J. (author) Kolesar, Katheryn R. (author) Peterson, Peter K. (author) Simpson, William R. (author) Fuentes, Jose D. (author) Shepson, Paul B. (author) Pratt, Kerri A. (author) 2019-06-11 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b01797 en eng Environmental Science & Technology--Environ. Sci. Technol.--0013-936X--1520-5851 articles:22698 ark:/85065/d7ws8x61 doi:10.1021/acs.est.9b01797 Copyright 2019 American Chemical Society. article Text 2019 ftncar https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b01797 2023-08-14T18:50:25Z Atomic chlorine (Cl) is a strong atmospheric oxidant that shortens the lifetimes of pollutants and methane in the springtime Arctic, where the molecular halogens Cl2 and BrCl are known Cl precursors. Here, we quantify the contributions of reactive chlorine trace gases and present the first observations, to our knowledge, of ClNO2 (another Cl precursor), N2O5, and HO2NO2 in the Arctic. During March-May 2016 near Utqiaġvik, Alaska, up to 21 ppt of ClNO2, 154 ppt of Cl2, 27 ppt of ClO, 71 ppt of N2O5, 21 ppt of BrCl, and 153 ppt of HO2NO2 were measured using chemical ionization mass spectrometry. The main Cl precursor was calculated to be Cl2 (up to 73%) in March, while BrCl was a greater contributor (63%) in May when total Cl production was lower. Elevated levels of ClNO2, N2O5, Cl2, and HO2NO2 coincided with pollution influence from the nearby town of Utqiaġvik and the North Slope of Alaska (Prudhoe Bay) Oilfields. We propose a coupled mechanism linking NOx with Arctic chlorine chemistry. Enhanced Cl2 was likely the result of the multiphase reaction of Cl–(aq) with ClONO2, formed from the reaction of ClO and NO2. In addition to this NOx-enhanced chlorine chemistry, Cl2 and BrCl were observed under clean Arctic conditions from snowpack photochemical production. These connections between NOx and chlorine chemistry and the role of snowpack recycling are important given increasing shipping and fossil fuel extraction predicted to accompany Arctic sea ice loss. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic north slope Prudhoe Bay Sea ice Alaska OpenSky (NCAR/UCAR - National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research) Arctic Environmental Science & Technology 53 14 8057 8067 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
OpenSky (NCAR/UCAR - National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research) |
op_collection_id |
ftncar |
language |
English |
description |
Atomic chlorine (Cl) is a strong atmospheric oxidant that shortens the lifetimes of pollutants and methane in the springtime Arctic, where the molecular halogens Cl2 and BrCl are known Cl precursors. Here, we quantify the contributions of reactive chlorine trace gases and present the first observations, to our knowledge, of ClNO2 (another Cl precursor), N2O5, and HO2NO2 in the Arctic. During March-May 2016 near Utqiaġvik, Alaska, up to 21 ppt of ClNO2, 154 ppt of Cl2, 27 ppt of ClO, 71 ppt of N2O5, 21 ppt of BrCl, and 153 ppt of HO2NO2 were measured using chemical ionization mass spectrometry. The main Cl precursor was calculated to be Cl2 (up to 73%) in March, while BrCl was a greater contributor (63%) in May when total Cl production was lower. Elevated levels of ClNO2, N2O5, Cl2, and HO2NO2 coincided with pollution influence from the nearby town of Utqiaġvik and the North Slope of Alaska (Prudhoe Bay) Oilfields. We propose a coupled mechanism linking NOx with Arctic chlorine chemistry. Enhanced Cl2 was likely the result of the multiphase reaction of Cl–(aq) with ClONO2, formed from the reaction of ClO and NO2. In addition to this NOx-enhanced chlorine chemistry, Cl2 and BrCl were observed under clean Arctic conditions from snowpack photochemical production. These connections between NOx and chlorine chemistry and the role of snowpack recycling are important given increasing shipping and fossil fuel extraction predicted to accompany Arctic sea ice loss. |
author2 |
McNamara, Stephen M. (author) W. Raso, Angela R. (author) Wang, Siyuan (author) Thanekar, Sham (author) Boone, Eric J. (author) Kolesar, Katheryn R. (author) Peterson, Peter K. (author) Simpson, William R. (author) Fuentes, Jose D. (author) Shepson, Paul B. (author) Pratt, Kerri A. (author) |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
title |
Springtime Nitrogen Oxide-Influenced Chlorine Chemistry in the Coastal Arctic |
spellingShingle |
Springtime Nitrogen Oxide-Influenced Chlorine Chemistry in the Coastal Arctic |
title_short |
Springtime Nitrogen Oxide-Influenced Chlorine Chemistry in the Coastal Arctic |
title_full |
Springtime Nitrogen Oxide-Influenced Chlorine Chemistry in the Coastal Arctic |
title_fullStr |
Springtime Nitrogen Oxide-Influenced Chlorine Chemistry in the Coastal Arctic |
title_full_unstemmed |
Springtime Nitrogen Oxide-Influenced Chlorine Chemistry in the Coastal Arctic |
title_sort |
springtime nitrogen oxide-influenced chlorine chemistry in the coastal arctic |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b01797 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic north slope Prudhoe Bay Sea ice Alaska |
genre_facet |
Arctic north slope Prudhoe Bay Sea ice Alaska |
op_relation |
Environmental Science & Technology--Environ. Sci. Technol.--0013-936X--1520-5851 articles:22698 ark:/85065/d7ws8x61 doi:10.1021/acs.est.9b01797 |
op_rights |
Copyright 2019 American Chemical Society. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b01797 |
container_title |
Environmental Science & Technology |
container_volume |
53 |
container_issue |
14 |
container_start_page |
8057 |
op_container_end_page |
8067 |
_version_ |
1776197968468115456 |