Effects of chlorinated volatile organic compounds on the degradation of biogenic alkenes in presence of ozone in an atmospheric simulation chamber

Abstract

Aerosol smog chamber studies are performed in the dark, so to elucidate the chemical and physical processes that can occur in forester's atmosphere that forms fine particles of matter. Estimation, through an atmospheric simulation chamber, of the role that ozone plays on air masses containing chlorinated compounds above forests is necessary. In this sense, we are interested in the disappearance of α- and β-pinene, the decomposition of ozone, and the formation of aerosols and carbonyl compounds during the experiments. They have demonstrated that the presence of CH2Cl2 and CHCl=CCl 2 does not significantly influence the rate of degradation of α-pinene which, in turn, is governed by the reactivity of ozone. In addition, an increase of the number of aerosols has been registered, however, only when they are in presence of chlorinated compounds under not humidified atmosphere. On the other side, the β-pinene decay is strongly affected by CHCl=CCl2 and moisture. As one conclusion of the above-described experiments, we found that CHCl=CCl2 and moisture are two factors promoting the production of carbonyl volatile organic compounds.