Abstract
A simple system was constructed for the separation and collection of atmospheric particles and gases. The five-stage sampling train consists of a particle filter followed by four 7LiOH-impregnated filters to collect acidic gases. The treated filters quantitatively collect acidic gas-phase species of B, S, Cl, Br, I, As, Se, Sb and Hg. Simultaneous sampling with activated charcoal-impregnated and 7LiOH-treated filters revealed that B, S, and As species were found only as acidic gases, while the others had both acidic and nonacidic contributions. Concentrations of up to 48 elements on the particle filters and nine elements on the treated filters were determined using instrumental neutron activation analysis and neutron capture prompt γ-ray activation analysis. Minimum sampling volume estimates, average filter blank concentrations, and average atmospheric concentrations at College Park, MD and Wallops Island, VA are presented.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
AllegriniI., DeSantisF., DiPaloV., and LibertiA., 1984, Measurement of particulate and gaseous ammonia at a suburban area by means of diffusion tubes (denuders), J. Aerosol Sci. 15, 465–471.
AndersonD. L., FaileyM. P., ZollerW. H., WaltersW. B., GordonG. E., and LindstromR. M., 1981, Neutron-capture prompt γ-ray spectrometry as a quantitative analytical method, J. Radioanal. Chem. 63, 97–119.
AndrenA. W., KleinD. H., and TalmiY., 1975, Selenium in coal-fired steam plant emissions, Environ. Sci. Technol. 9, 856–858.
BakerG., ClarkeP., GerstleR., MasonW., and PhillipsM., 1983, Emission characterization of major fossil fuel power plants in the Ohio River Valley, EPA Project Report, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, NC.
Ballantine, D. S., 1983, The implications of mercury speciation data from atmospheric studies on the global mercury cycle, PhD dissertation, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.
BallantineD. S. and ZollerW. H., 1984, Collection and determination of volatile organic mercury compounds in the atmosphere by gas chromatography with microwave plasma detection, Anal. Chem. 56, 1288–1293.
BillingsC. E. and MatsonW. R., 1972, Mercury emissions from coal combustion, Science 176, 1232–1233.
BramanR. S. and JohnsonD. L., 1974, Selective absorption tubes and emission technique for determination of ambient forms of mercury in air, Environ. Sci. Technol. 8, 996–1003.
Creac'hP. V. and PointG., 1966, Mise en évidence, dans l'atmosphère d'acide borique gazeux provenant de l'évaporation de l'eau de mer, C. R. Acad. Sci. (Paris) 263, 89–91.
CurrieL. A., 1977, Detection and quantitation in X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, in T. G.Dzubay (ed.), X-ray Fluorescence Analysis of Environmental Samples, Ann Arbor Science, Ann Arbor MI, Chapt. 25.
FaileyM. P., AndersonD. L., ZollerW. H., GordonG. E., and LindstromR. M., 1979, Neutroncapture prompt γ-ray activation analysis for multielement determination in complex samples, Anal. Chem. 51, 2209–2221.
Finnegan, D. L., 1984, The chemistry of trace elements and acidic species in fumarolic emissions, PhD dissertation, Department of Chemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.
Fogg, T. R., 1983, Boron in the marine atmosphere, PhD dissertation, Graduate School of Ocean-ography, University of Rhode Island, Narrangansett, Rhode Island.
FoggT. R., DuceR. A., and FaschingJ. L., 1983, Sampling and determination of boron in the atmosphere, Anal. Chem. 55, 2179–2184.
FoggT. R. and RahnK. A., 1984, Boron as a tracer of aerosol from combustion of coal, Geophys. Res. Lett. 1, 854–857.
FoggT. R., 1986, Absorption of gases by cellulose fiber cascade impactor surfaces, Atmos. Environ. 20, 1633–1634.
Germani, M. S., 1980, Selected studies of four high-temperature air-pollution sources, PhD dissertation, Department of Chemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.
GermaniM. S., GökmenI., SigleoA. C., KowalczykG. S., OlmezI., SmallA. M., AndersonD. L., FaileyM. P., GulovaliM. C., ChoquetteC. E., LepelE. A., GordonG. E., and ZollerW. H., 1980, Concentrations of elements in the National Bureau of Standards' bituminous and subbituminous coal Standard Reference Materials, Anal. Chem. 52, 240–245.
HuygenC., 1963, The sampling of sulfur dioxide in air with impregnated filter paper, Anal. Chem. Acta 28, 349–360.
JaklevicJ. M. and WalterR. L., 1977, Comparison of minimum detectable limits among X-ray spectrometers, in T. G.Dzubay (ed.), X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis of Environmental Samples, Ann Arbor Science, Ann Arbor, MI, Chapt 5.
JiangS., RobberechtH., and AdamsF., 1983, Identification and determination of alkylselenide compounds in environmental air, Atmos. Environ. 17, 111–114.
JohnsonD. A. and AtkinsD. H. F., 1975, An airborne system for the sampling and analysis of sulfur dioxide and atmospheric aerosols, Atmos. Environ. 9, 825–829.
Kitto, M. E., Anderson, D. L., Gordon, G. E., and Ondov, J. M., 1983, Boron as a potential tracer for coal-fired power plant emissions, presented at 186th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Washington, DC.
KittoM. E. and AndersonD. L., 1987, Simultaneous collection of particles and acidic gases for tracing emissions from coal-fired power plants, in R. W.Johnson, and G. E.Gordon (eds.), The Chemistry of Acid Rain, Sources and Atmospheric Processes, ACS Symposium Series 349, American Chemical Society, Washington DC, pp. 84–92.
Kitto, M. E., 1987, Receptor modeling of atmospheric particles and gases, PhD Dissertation, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD.
Kotra, J. P. and Zoller, W. H., 1986, A high volume, aircraft-based filter sampling system for the collection of atmospheric particles and reactive gases, submitted to Environ. Sci. Technol.
KleinD. H., AndrenA. W., CarterJ. A., EmeryJ. F., FeldmanC., FulkersonW., LyonW. S., OgleJ. C., TalmiY., VanHookR. I., and BoltonN., 1975, Pathways of thirty-seven elements through coal-fired power plant, Environ. Sci. Technol. 9, 973–979.
LazrusA. L., GandrudB. W., WoodwardR. N., and SedlacekW. A., 1975, Stratospheric halogen measurements, Geophys. Res. Lett. 2, 439–441.
LewinE. and Zachau-ChristiansenB., 1977, Efficiency of 0.5 N KOH impregnated filters for SO2 collection, Atmos. Environ. 11, 861–862.
LewisC. W. and StevensR. K., 1985, Hybrid receptor model for secondary sulfate from an SO2 point source, Atmos. Environ. 19, 917–924.
MosherB. W. and DuceR. A., 1983, Vapor phase and particulate selenium in the marine atmosphere, J. Geophys. Res. 88, 6761–6768.
MosherB. W., DuceR. A., ProsperoJ. M., and SavoieD. L., 1987, Atmospheric selenium: geographical distribution and ocean to atmosphere flux in the Pacific, J. Geophys. Res. 92, 13277–13287.
NishimuraM. and TanakaK., 1972, Sea water may not be a source of boron in the atmosphere, J. Geophys. Res. 77, 5239–5242.
PateJ. B., LodgeJ. P., and NearyM. P., 1963, The use of impregnated filters to collect traces of gases in the atmosphere, Anal. Chim. Acta 28, 341–348.
Rahn, K. A., Borys, R. D., and Duce, R. A., 1977, Determination of inorganic and organic components of gaseous chlorine, bromine, and iodine in the atmosphere, WMO No. 460, Special Environmental Report No. 10, Geneva, Switzerland, 172–178.
RahnK. A., BorysR. D., and DuceR. A., 1976, Tropospheric halogen gases: inorganic and organic components, Science 192, 549–550.
ReamerD. C. and ZollerW. H., 1980, Selenium biomethylation products from soil and sewage sludge, Science 208, 500–502.
Rook, H. L., Gills, T. E., and LaFleur, P. D., Method for determination of mercury in biological materials by neutron activation analysis, Anal. Chem. 44, 1114–1117.
SlemrF., SeilerW., EberlingC., and RoggendorfP., 1979, The determination of total gaseous mercury in air at background levels, Anal. Chim. Acta 110, 35–47.
WalshP. R., DuceR. A., and FaschingJ. L., 1977, Impregnated filter sampling system for collection of volatile arsenic in the atmosphere, Environ. Sci. Technol. 11, 163–166.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kitto, M.E., Anderson, D.L. & Zoller, W.H. Simultaneous collection of particles and gases followed by multielement analysis using nuclear techniques. J Atmos Chem 7, 241–259 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00130932
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00130932