Platform: NOAA-CHEM Twin Otter Instruments

Tenax cartridge autosampler

UC Riverside
schematic from AmericanLaboratory.com
Collected I/VOCs are thermally desorbed and injected into two-dimensional (GC × GC) gas chromatography using a time-of-flight mass spectrometric detector (TOFMS) at UC Riverside for analysis. Two columns provide enhanced separation and speciation capability.

Speciated VOC (volatile organic compound) measurements

Sorbent-tube sample collection:
8 sample capacity / flight
Flow rates up to 1 LPM
Each samples manually triggered to exclusively capture smoke

Measurement Objectives:

  • Speciate VOC emissions and calculate emission factors from young smoke
    • Does isomer speciation vary significantly between fires?
  • Observe photochemical decay of reactive compounds
    • Can we link specific precursors to SOA (secondary organic aerosol) production?
  • Compare daytime and nighttime chemistry
    • Are there observable differences in VOC reactivity with different oxidants?

Research Team

Kelley Barsanti

Kelley Barsanti

Lindsay Hatch

Lindsay Hatch

Avi Lavi

Avi Lavi

Paul Van Rooy

Paul Van Rooy