Abstract
In the past decade, increasing attention has been paid to the role of nitrous acid (HONO) in the polluted troposphere, primarily as an initiator of photochemical air pollution1 through its photodissociation by solar UV radiation into hydroxyl radicals and NO. The OH radical may subsequently attack organics starting a chain photoxidation which leads to the production of O3, peroxyacetyl nitrate and many other secondary pollutants. Measurements of the concentration of HONO, especially in the early morning, are needed to establish the initial conditions to be used in computer kinetic models of photochemical oxidant formation2–4. From laboratory studies, it has been suggested that nitrous acid may also be a precursor to the possible formation of nitrosamines by reaction with simple secondary and tertiary amines in urban air5, or in vivo following inhalation. We report here a series of observations, at Riverside and Claremont, California, of the gradual buildup of HONO during the night and its rapid decay after sunrise. These, we believe, represent the first unequivocal measurements of HONO reported for a major urban air basin impacted by photochemical air pollution.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Pitts, J. N. Jr & Finlayson-Pitts, B. J. Adv. Envir. Sci. Technol. 7, 75–162 (1977).
Falls, A. H. & Seinfeld, J. H. Envir. Sci. Technol. 12, 1398–1406 (1978).
Hendry, D. G., Baldwin, A. L., Barker, J. R. & Golden, D. M. Computer Modeling of Simulated Photochemical Smog (EPA-600/3-78-059, 1978).
Carter, W. P. L., Lloyd, A. C., Sprung, J. L. & Pitts, J. N. Jr Int. J. Chem. Kinet. 11, 45–101 (1979).
Pitts, J. N. Jr Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 290, 551–576 (1979).
Platt, U., Perner, D. & Patz, H. W. J. geophys. Res. 84, 6329–6335 (1979).
Perner, D. & Platt, U. Geophys. Res. Lett. 6, 917–920 (1979).
JPL Publication 79-27, Chemical Kinetic and Photochemical Data for Use in Stratospheric Modelling (1979).
Howard, C. J. J. phys. Chem. 67, 5258–5263 (1977).
Graham, R. A., Winer, A. M. & Pitts, J. N. Jr Chem. phys. Lett. 51, 215–220 (1977).
Batt, L. Int. J. Chem. Kinet. 11, 977–993 (1979).
Kaiser, E. W. & Wu, C. H. J. phys. Chem. 81, 1701–1706 (1977).
McKinnon, I. R., Mathieson, J. G. & Wilson, I. R. J. phys. Chem. 83, 779–780 (1979).
Stockwell, W. R. & Calvert, J. G. J. Photochem. 8, 193–203 (1978).
Tuazon, E. C., Winer, A. M., Graham, R. A., Schmid, J. P. & Pitts, J. N. Jr Envir. Sci. Technol. 12, 954–958 (1978).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Platt, U., Perner, D., Harris, G. et al. Observations of nitrous acid in an urban atmosphere by differential optical absorption. Nature 285, 312–314 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1038/285312a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/285312a0
This article is cited by
-
Underestimated benefits of NOx control in reducing SNA and O3 based on missing heterogeneous HONO sources
Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering (2024)
-
Synthesizing evidence for the external cycling of NOx in high- to low-NOx atmospheres
Nature Communications (2023)
-
Lowest observed adverse effect level of pulmonary pathological alterations due to nitrous acid exposure in guinea pigs
Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine (2020)
-
Global nitrous acid emissions and levels of regional oxidants enhanced by wildfires
Nature Geoscience (2020)
-
Water-soluble ion components of PM10 during the winter-spring season in a typical polluted city in Northeast China
Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2019)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.