Analysis of Non-Methane Hydrocarbons and Organic Nitrogen Compounds in the Atmosphere
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Abstract
This thesis deals with the measurement of volatile hydrocarbons and organic nitrogen compounds and the interpretation of field data with respect to atmospheric processes.
Non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC) were measured with a commercial gas chromatograph with flame ionization detector.
For the measurement of nitrogen containing organic components in the trace gas range, a new system was set up and evaluated as part of this work. It includes a gas enrichment and cryofocusing device, a gas chromatograph and a nitrogen chemiluminescence detector (GC-NCD).
The results of two measurement campaigns are presented. The CYPHEX campaign (CYprus PHotochemistry EXperiment) took place in the northwest of Cyprus in the summer of 2014. In summer 2015, the devices were used in the NOTOMO campaign (NOcturnal chemistry at the Taunus Observatory: insights into Mechanisms of Oxidati-on) on the Kleiner Feldberg, Taunus, Germany. The GC-FID system was operated directly on site. Organic nitrogen compounds were analysed in the lab after the campaign (CYPHEX) or during the campaign (NOTOMO) from whole air samples (WAS).
As far as we are aware, this study presents the first measurements of short chained alkyl nitrates (C1-C4) in the Mediterranean region.
The GC-NCD-system was also regularly used to measure WAS of the CARIBIC project (Civil Aircraft for the Regular Investigation of the atmosphere Based on an instrumented Container) over a period of one year and was thus able to expand the pool of analytes by organic nitrates.
A laboratory study for the measurement of plant emissions, which was an extension of the NOTOMO campaign, provided new results regarding the field of application and the extension of the measured components of the GC NCD system. In addition, the study also revealed new results on quasi-online measurements.
After an introduction to the theoretical background, the measurement and sampling techniques are explained in chapter 2. The field campaigns are addressed in the chapters 3-5. Chapter 6 summarizes the results of this doctoral thesis.