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Study on concentration of ambient NH 3 and interactions with some other ambient trace gases

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Abstract

We present diurnal variation of ambient ammonia (NH3) in relation with other trace gases (O3, CO, NO, NO2, and SO2) and meteorological parameters at an urban site of Delhi during winter period. For the first time, ambient ammonia (NH3) was monitored very precisely and continuously using ammonia analyzer, which operates on chemiluminescence method. NH3 estimation efficiency of the chemiluminescence method (>90%) is much higher than the conventional chemical trapping method (reproducibility 4.5%). Ambient NH3 concentration reaches its maxima (46.17 ppb) at night and minimum during midday. Result reveals that the ambient ammonia (NH3) concentration is positively correlated with ambient NO (r 2 = 0.79) and NO2 (r 2 = 0.91) mixing ratio and negatively correlated with ambient temperature (r 2 = − 0.32). Wind direction and wind speed indicates that the nearby (~500 m NW) agricultural fields may be major source of ambient NH3 at the observational site.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Radio and Atmospheric Science Division, National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K S Krishnan Marg, New Delhi, 110 012, India

    S. K. Sharma, A. Datta, T. Saud, T. K. Mandal, Y. N. Ahammed, B. C. Arya & M. K. Tiwari

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  1. S. K. Sharma
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  2. A. Datta
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  3. T. Saud
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  4. T. K. Mandal
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  5. Y. N. Ahammed
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  6. B. C. Arya
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  7. M. K. Tiwari
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Correspondence to S. K. Sharma.

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Sharma, S.K., Datta, A., Saud, T. et al. Study on concentration of ambient NH 3 and interactions with some other ambient trace gases. Environ Monit Assess 162, 225–235 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-009-0791-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-009-0791-2

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