title: Aldehyde and monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon mixing ratios at an urban site in Las Vegas, Nevada.
abstract: Oxidation of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) in air, of significance due to, for example, the potential for O3 formation, is believed to be initiated by OH attack on the ring (addition) or on the alkyl side chain (H abstraction). A series of ring-breaking reactions follows, with major products predicted to be alpha-dicarbonyls, simple aldehydes, and organic acids. To test this prediction, ambient air mixing ratios of aldehydes (formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, benzaldehyde, glyoxal, and pyruvaldehyde), along with some supporting BTEX data, were measured at an urban site in Las Vegas, NV. Samples were collected on sorbents and determined by chromatographic methods; mixing ratios were compared to ambient levels of CO, O3, and NOx. A meteorological analysis (temperature, wind speed, and wind direction) was also included. Statistically significant relationships were noted among the BTEX hydrocarbons (HCs) and among the photochemically derived species (e.g., O3, NO2, and some of the aldehydes), although there was seasonal variation. The observations are consistent with a common primary source (i.e., vehicular exhaust or fuel evaporation) for the BTEX compounds and a common secondary source (e.g., OH attack) for glyoxal and pyruvaldehyde.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada at Las Vegas, 89154-4003, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Steinberg
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000447:Aldehydes / Q000032:analysis*; D002947:Cities; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006841:Hydrocarbons, Aromatic / Q000032:analysis*; D009505:Nevada; D001335:Vehicle Emissions
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D000447:Aldehydes; D006841:Hydrocarbons, Aromatic; D001335:Vehicle Emissions