Skip to main content
Log in

Comparison of Two Manual Methods of Nitrogen Dioxide Determination in Ambient Air

  • Published:
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Sodium arsenite (modified Jacobs and Hochheiser method; hereafter referred as SA), the most widely used manual monitoring method for determination of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in ambient air, particularly in developing countries has been evaluated and compared with US EPA recommended equivalent method of TGS-ANSA (hereafter referred as ANSA). NO2 concentrations generated from laboratory test atmosphere were analyzed by these two methods and were compared statistically. Laboratory evaluations showed that SA method has high sensitivity to different sampling conditions, which normally vary during actual field monitoring. Hence, correction factors for absorption efficiency were estimated for SA and ANSA methods. Absorption efficiency of NO2 in SA method was found to be much lower (64%) as against the reported value of 82% at the method recommended sampling conditions, whereas for ANSA method, it was found 1.0 as against the reported value of 0.93. After applying derived correction factors, both the methods produced almost similar concentration values of NO2.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Beard, M. E. and Margeson, J. H., 1974, 'An Evaluation of Arsenite Procedure for Determination of Nitrogen Dioxide in Ambient Air', US EPA Report No. 650/4-74-048, November, PB 239 737.

  • Christie A. A., Lidzey R. G. and Radford, D. W. F.: 1970, 'Field method for the determination of nitrogen dioxide in air', Analyst 95, 519-524.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fuerst, R. G. and Margeson, J. H.: 1974, 'An Evaluation of TGS-ANSA Procedure for Determination of Nitrogen Dioxide in Ambient Air', US EPA Report No. 650/4-74-047, November, PB 238 097.

  • Goyal, S. K.: 1999, 'Measurement of NO2 in ambient air: Effect of bubbler type and sample flow rate', Indian J. Environ. Protect. 9(3), 161-165.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goyal, S. K., Gavane, A. G. and Aggarwal, A. L.: 2000, 'Effect of temperature on absorption efficiency of NO2 in arsenite method', Environ. Monit. Assess. 61(2), 283-289.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goyal, S. K.: 2002, 'Effect of sample flow rate and sampling duration on absorption of NO2 in the sodium arsenite method', J. Environ. Monit. 4(4), 579-682.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrison, R. H. and Perry, R.: 1986, Handbook of Air Pollution Analysis. 2nd ed., Champman and Hall Publication, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levaggi, P. A., Siu, W. and Feldstein, M.: 1973, 'A new method for measuring average 24-hour nitrogen dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere', J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc. 23(4), 30-33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Margeson, J. H., Beard, M. E. and Suggs, J. C.: 1977, 'Evaluation of sodium arsenite method for measurement of NO2 in ambient air', J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc. 27(6), 553-556.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nash, T.: 1970, 'An efficient absorbing reagent for nitrogen dioxide', Atmos. Environ. 4, 661-665.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNEP/WHO: 1994, 'GEMS/AIR Methodology Review Handbook Series, Vol. 4-Passive and Active Sampling Methodologies for Measurement of Air Quality', WHO/EOS/94.4, UNEP Nairobi.

    Google Scholar 

  • US EPA: 1977, 'TGS-ANSA Method for Determination of Nitrogen Dioxide in the Atmosphere', EPA Designated Equivalent Method No. EQN. 1277-028.

  • US EPA: 1975, 'Comparison of Methods for Determination of NO2 in Ambient Air', Environmental Monitoring Series, EPA 650/4-75-023.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Goyal, S.K. Comparison of Two Manual Methods of Nitrogen Dioxide Determination in Ambient Air. Environ Monit Assess 89, 305–314 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026179030146

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026179030146

Navigation