DOAS-measurement of the NO2 formation rate from NOx emissions into the atmosphere

Abstract

In the present work we deal with emissions originating from combustion processes containing SO 2, NO and NO 2, emitted into the atmosphere by a localized source. We present a method for measuring the NO 2-formation rate (due to conversion of NO to NO 2) from measurements of SO 2-and NO 2-slant column densities across different plume sections, under the (usually justified) assumption that the SO 2-flux is constant. The advantages of the proposed method are that the measurements can be performed from an arbitrary location, without explicit reference to the wind speed and direction in the plume. We present results of ground based DOAS-measurements of SO 2 and NO x emissions from an oil refinery located in the northern part of Montevideo Bay and give recommendations for future applications of the method. © 2012 Author(s).