Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Volatile organic compounds at a rural site in western Senegal

  • Published:
Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to identify species and levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and determine their oxidation capacity in the rural atmosphere of western Senegal. A field study was conducted to obtain air samples during September 14 and September 15, 2006 for analyses of VOCs. Methanol, acetone, and acetaldehyde were the most abundant detected chemical species and their maximum mixing ratios reached 6 parts per billion on a volume basis (ppbv). Local emission sources such as firewood and charcoal burning strongly influenced VOC concentrations. The VOC concentrations exhibited little temporal variations due to the low reactivity with hydroxyl radicals, with reactivity values ranging from 0.001 to 2.6 s−1. The conditions in this rural site were rather clean. Low ambient NO x levels limited ozone production. Nitrogen oxide (NO x ) levels reached values less than 2 ppbv and maximum VOC/NO x ratios reached 60 ppbvC/ppbv, with an overall average of 2.4 ± 4.5 ppbvC/ppbv. This indicates that the rural western Senegal region is NO x limited in terms of oxidant formation potential. Therefore, during the study period photochemical ozone production became limited due to low ambient NO x levels. The estimated ozone formation reactivity for VOCs was low and ranged between −5.5 mol of ozone/mol of benzaldehyde to 0.6 mol/mol of anthropogenic dienes.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Atkinson, R.: Kinetics and mechanisms of the gas-phase reactions of the hydroxyl radical with organic compounds under atmospheric conditions. Chem. Rev. 85, 69–201 (1985)

    Google Scholar 

  • Atkinson, R., Arey, J.: Atmospheric degradation of volatile organic compounds. Chem. Rev. 103, 4605–4638 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bertschi, I., Yokelson, R., Ward, D., Christian, T., Hoa, W.: Trace gas emissions from the production and use of domestic biofuels in Zambia measured by open-path Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. J. Geophys. Res. 108, 8469 (2003). doi:10.1029/2002JD002158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bottenheim, J.W., Shepherd, M.F.: C2–C6 hydrocarbons measurements at four rural locations across Canada. Atmos. Environ. 29, 647–664 (1995)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bravo, A., Sanchez, J., Sosa, E., Keener, T., Lu, M.: The potential impact of gasoline additives on air quality in developing countries. Clean Technol. Environ. Policy 8, 174–181 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carter, W.: Development of ozone reactivity scales for volatile organic compounds. J. Air Waste Manage. Assoc. 44, 881–899 (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  • Cros, B., Delon, C., Affre, C., Mario, T., Druihet, A., Perros, P.E., Lopez, A.: Sources and sinks of ozone in savanna and forest areas during EXPRESSO: airborne turbulent flux measurements. J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos. 105, 29347–29358 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crutzen, P.J.: Ozone production rates in an oxygen–hydrogen–nitrogen oxide atmosphere. J. Geophys. Res. 76, 7311–7327 (1971)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farrow, L., Graedel, T.: Steady state approximations and urban atmospheric chemistry. J. Atmos. Chem. 81, 2480–2483 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Finlayson-Pitts, B., Pitts, J.: Volatile organic compounds: ozone formation, alternative fuels and toxics. Chem. Ind. 18, 796–800 (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  • Finlayson-Pitts, B., Pitts, J.: Chemistry of the Upper and Lower Atmosphere, pp. 80–886. Academic, San Diego (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fuentes, J.D., et al.: Biogenic hydrocarbons in the atmospheric boundary layer: a review. Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc. 81, 1537–1575 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fuentes, J.D., Wang, D., Bowling, D.R., Potosnak, M., Monson, R.K., Goliff, W.S., Stockwell, W.R.: Biogenic hydrocarbon chemistry within and above a mixed deciduous forest. J. Atmos. Chem. 56, 165–185 (2007). doi:10.1007/s10874-006-9048-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fujita, E.M., Stockwell, W.R., Campbell, D.E., Keislar, R.E.: Evolution of the magnitude and spatial extent of the weekend ozone effect in California’s south coast air basin, 1981–2000. J. Air Waste Manage. Assoc. 53, 802–815 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg, J., Zimmerman, P., Chatfield, R.: Hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide in African savannah air. Geophys. Res. Lett. 12, 113–116 (1985)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffin, R.J., Cocker, D.R., Flagan, R.C., Seinfeld, J.H.: Organic aerosol formation from the oxidation of biogenic hydrocarbons. J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos. 104, 3555–3567 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guenther, A., Otter, L., Zimmerman, P., Greenberg, J., Scholes, R., Scholes, M.: Biogenic hydrocarbon emissions from southern African savannas. J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos. 101, 25,859–25,865 (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  • Harley, P., Otter, L., Guenther, A., Greenberg, J.: Micrometeorological and leaf-level measurements of isoprene emissions from a southern African savanna. J. Geophys. Res. 108(D13), 8468 (2003). doi:10.1029/2002JD002592

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobson, M.Z.: Atmospheric Pollution: History, Science and Regulation. Cambridge University Press, New York (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  • Joseph, J.H., Wiscombe, W.J.: The delta-Eddington approximation for radiative flux transfer. J. Atmos. Sci. 33, 2452–2459 (1976)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kamga, A.K., Jenkins, G.S., Gaye, A.T., Garba, A., Sarr, A., Adedoyin, A.: Evaluating the National Center for Atmospheric Research climate system model over West Africa: present-day and the 21st century A1 scenario. J. Geophys. Res. 110, D03106 (2005). doi:10.1029/2004JD004689

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kanakidou, M., et al.: Organic aerosol and global climate modeling: a review. Atmos. Chem. Phys. 5, 1053–1123 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, M.G., Butler, T.M., Steinkamp, J., Gurjar, B.R., Lelieveld, J.: Regional pollution potentials of megacities and other major population centers. Atmos. Chem. Phys. 7, 3969–3987 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leighton, P.A.: Photochemistry of Air Pollution, p. 300. Academic, New York (1961)

    Google Scholar 

  • Madronich, S.: Photodissociation in the atmosphere; 1. Actinic flux and the effects on ground reflections and clouds. J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos. 92, 9740–9752 (1987)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matson, P., Parton, W., Power, A., Swift, M.: Agricultural intensification and ecosystem properties. Science 277, 504–509 (1997)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Otter, L., Gunther, A., Wiedinmeyer, C., Fleming, G., Harley, P., Greenberg, J.: Spatial and temporal variations in biogenic volatile organic compound emissions for Africa south of the equator. J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos. 108, SAF41.1–SAF41.12 (2003). doi:10.1029/2002JD002609

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parrish, D., Stohl, A., Forster, C., Atlas, E., Blake, D., Goldan, P., Kuster, W., Gouw, J.: Effects of mixing on evolution of hydrocarbon ratios in the troposphere. J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos. 112, D10S34 (2007). doi:10.1029/2006JD007583

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parton, W., Tappan, G., Ojima, D., Tshackert, P.: Ecological impact of historical and future land-use patterns in Senegal. J. Arid Environ. 59, 605–623 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Picott, S., Watson, J., Jones, J.: A global inventory of volatile organic compound emissions from anthropogenic sources. J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos. 97, 9897–9912 (1992)

    Google Scholar 

  • Plass, C., Koppmann, R., Rudolph, J.: Light hydrocarbons in the surface water of the mid-Atlantic. J. Atmos. Chem. 15, 231–251 (1992)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, J., Feshenfeld, F., Liu, S., Bollinger, M., Hahn, C., Albritton, D., Sievers, R.: Measurements of aromatic hydrocarbon ratios and NO x concentrations in the rural troposphere: observation of air mass photochemical aging and NO x removal. Atmos. Environ. 18, 2421–2432 (1984)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, A.L., Donahue, N.M., Shrivastava, M.K., Weitkamp, E.A., Sage, A.M., Grieshop, A.P., Lane, T.E., Pierce, J.R., Pandis, S.N.: Rethinking organic aerosols: semivolatile emissions and photochemical aging. Sciences 315, 1259–1262 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rudolph, J., Johnen, F.J.: Measurements of light atmospheric over the Atlantic in regions of low biological activity. J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos. 97, 20582–20591 (1990)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rudolph, J., Khedim, A., Bonsang, B.: Light hydrocarbons in the tropospheric boundary layer over tropical Africa. J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos. 97, 6181–6186 (1992)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sauvage, B., Thouret, V., Thompson, A.M., Witte, J.C., Cammas, J.-P., Nedelec, P., Athier, G.: Enhanced view of the “tropical Atlantic ozone paradox” and “zonal wave one” from the in situ MOZAIC and SHADOZ data. J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos. 111, D01301.1–D01301.10 (2006). doi:10.1029/2005JD006241

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seefeld, S., Stockwell, W.R.: First-order sensitivity analysis of models with time dependent parameters: an application to PAN and ozone. Atmos. Environ. 33, 2941–2953 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Serca, D., Geunther, A., Klinger, L., Vierling, L., Harley, P., Druilhet, A., Greenberg, J., Baker, B., Baugh, W., Bouka-Biona, C., Loemba-Ndembi, J.: EXPRESSO flux measurements at upland and lowland Congo tropical forest site. Tellus 53B, 220–234 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sillman, S.: The relation between ozone, NO x and hydrocarbons in urban and polluted rural environments. Atmos. Environ. 33, 1821–1845 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, H., Chen, Y., Staudt, A., Jacob, D., Blake, D., Heikes, B., Snow, J.: Evidence from the Pacific troposphere for large global sources of oxygenated compounds. Nature 410, 1087–1081 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sowden, M., Zunckel, M., Tienhoven, A.: Assessment of the status of biogenic organic emissions and impacts on air quality in Southern Africa. Tellus 59B, 535–541 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  • Stockwell, W.R., Kirchner, F., Kuhn, M., Seefeld, S.: A new mechanism for regional atmospheric chemistry modeling. J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos. 102, 25847–25879 (1997)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tiffen, M.: Transition in sub-Saharan Africa: agriculture, urbanization and income growth. World Dev. 31, 1343–1366 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, D., Fuentes, J.D., Travers, D., Dann, T., Connolly, T.: Non-methane hydrocarbons and carbonyls in the Lower Fraser Valley during PACIFIC 2001. Atmos. Environ. 39, 5261–5272 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, J., Holzinger, R., Gros, V., Xu, X., Atlas, E., Wallace, D.: Measurements of organic species in air and seawater from the tropical Atlantic. Geophys. Res. Lett. 31, L23S06 (2004). doi:10.1029/2004GL020012

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Youm, I., Sarr, J., Sall, M., Kane, M.: Renewable energy activities in Senegal: a review. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 4, 75–89 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, X., Mopper, K.: Photochemical production of low-molecular-weight carbonyl compounds in seawater and surface microlayer and their air-sea exchange. Mar. Chem. 56, 201–213 (1997)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

NASA funded the field research activities associated with NAMMA in Senegal (Grant number MNX06AC82G). The hydrocarbon field studies were supported by the University of Virginia. Environment Canada supported the hydrocarbon analyses. The Senegal NAMMA team assisted with the field studies, particularly Marcia S. DeLonge (University of Virginia), John Deary (University of Virginia), and Everette Joseph (Howard University).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, 291 McCormick Road, Clark Hall, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA

    Deanne D. Grant, Jose D. Fuentes & Stephen Chan

  2. Departments of Chemistry, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA

    William R. Stockwell

  3. Environmental Technology Center, Environment Canada, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0H3, Canada

    Daniel Wang

  4. Laboratoire de Physique de l’Atmosphère et de l’Océan-Siméon Fongang, Ecole Supérieure Polytechnique UCAD, Dakar, Republic of Senegal

    Seydi A. Ndiaye

Authors
  1. Deanne D. Grant
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jose D. Fuentes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Stephen Chan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. William R. Stockwell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Daniel Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Seydi A. Ndiaye
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jose D. Fuentes.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Grant, D.D., Fuentes, J.D., Chan, S. et al. Volatile organic compounds at a rural site in western Senegal. J Atmos Chem 60, 19–35 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10874-008-9106-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10874-008-9106-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation