Determination of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in the

Determination of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in the

Chem. Anal. (Warsaw), 52, 435 (2007)
Determination of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
in the Atmosphere Over Central Siberian Forest
and Southern Part of European Taiga in Russia
by Magdalena Ulman1+, Katarzyna Bielawska1, Bo¿ena £ozowicka1,
Martin Heimann2, Jürgen Kesselmeier3, Günther Schebeske3,
Krzysztof S. Katryñski1,2 and Zdzis³aw Chilmonczyk4*
Institute of Chemistry, University of Bialystok,
ul. Pi³sudskiego 11/4, 15-443 Bia³ystok, Poland
2
Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry,
D-07701 Jena, Hans-Knoell-Strasse 10, Germany
3
Max-Planck Institute for Chemistry,
D-55128 Mainz, J.J. Becher Weg 27, Germany
4
National Medicines Institute,
ul. Che³mska 30/34, 00-725 Warsaw, Poland
1
Keywords:
VOCs, biogenic emission, chromatography, FID, MS, isoprene, monoterpenes
Our knowledge about emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from Siberian
forest and southern European taiga is still insufficient. Thus, in the frames of Terrestrial
Carbon Observation System project we have performed a series of measurements during
summer 2004. The aim of our research was to understand biogenic fluxes, vertical exchange, and atmospheric transport of VOCs. In this paper we have described the measurement of the atmospheric mixing ratio of different VOCs above the forest canopy and at
different altitudes in Fyodorovskoje (southern part of European taiga, 400 km from Moscow) and near Zotino (central Siberia, 700 km to the north of Krasnoyarsk). In both probing
sites, isoprene and a-pinene were the main components measured above the forest canopy.
In Fyodorovskoje and Zotino, the most abundant monoterpenes found at higher altitudes
(> 300 m above sea level) were a-pinene and p-cymene, respectively. Concentration of
isoprene in both probing sites was about 1 ppb. In determinations of VOCs, GC–MS and
GC–FID with thermal desorption were utilised. These belong to the most widespread method
* Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]; Fax: +48 22 8406330
+
Present address: NRW Graduate School of Chemistry, Institute of Inorganic and Analytical
Chemistry, University of Muenster, Correnstr. 30, 48-149 Muenster, Germany
436
M. Ulman et al.
for analysis of VOCs. The data obtained in these studies will be used for modeling atmospheric distribution of VOC species over central Siberian forest and the southern part of
European taiga.
Wiedza na temat emisji lotnych zwi¹zków organicznych (LZO) z lasów Syberii oraz
po³udniowej czêœci europejskiej tajgi jest wci¹¿ niewystarczaj¹ca. W ramach projektu
Terrestrial Carbon Observation System prowadziliœmy pomiary stê¿eñ LZO w lecie 2004
roku. Celem naszych badañ by³o uzyskanie danych, które pozwoli³yby na okreœlenie strumieni
biogenicznych, wymiany w p³aszczyŸnie pionowej oraz transportu atmosferycznych LZO.
Mierzyliœmy zawartoœci atmosferyczne ró¿nych LZO ponad sklepieniem lasu oraz na ró¿nych
wysokoœciach w Fyodorovskoje (po³udniowa czêœæ tajgi europejskiej, ok. 400 km od
Moskwy) i w pobli¿u Zotino (centralna Syberia, 700 km na pó³noc od Krasnojarska).
G³ównymi zwi¹zkami wystêpuj¹cymi tu¿ ponad sklepieniem lasu zarówno w Fyodorovskoje
jak i w Zotino by³y izopren i a-pinen. G³ównym monoterpenem wystêpuj¹cym w wy¿szych
partiach atmosfery (> 300 m n.p.m.) w Fyodorovskoje by³ a-pinen, a w Zotino p-cymen.
Stê¿enie izoprenu w próbkach powietrza pobranych podczas lotów samolotem wynosi³o
oko³o 1 ppb zarówno w pobli¿u Zotino jak i w Fyodorovskoje. W badaniu LZO u¿yto
GC–MS, oraz GC–FID z termiczn¹ desorbcj¹. S¹ to jedne z najpowszechniej stosowanych
technik w analizie LZO. Otrzymane dane zostan¹ wykorzystane w modelowaniu atmosferycznej dystrybucji LZO ponad lasami centralnej Syberii i po³udniowej czêœci tajgi
europejskiej.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exhibit vapour pressure above 1,4 hPa
under ambient conditions [1]. Biogenic non-methane volatile organic compounds,
such as isoprene and terpenes, alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, esters, carbonyls, and
acids play an important role in the oxidative capacity of the atmosphere [2–8]. Over
90% of total VOCs entering the atmosphere are of biogenic origin [9, 10]. Biogenic
VOCs are frequently classified into three categories – isoprene, monoterpenes, and
others; they contribute respectively to 45%, 10%, and 45% of the total annual global
biogenic VOC emission [11]. In the lower part of the atmosphere, VOCs may react in
the presence of nitrogen oxides (NOx) to form ozone (by the action of sunlight) and
other components of photochemical smog [12]. Some VOCs may represent a potential threat to the human health [13–20]. It is thus very important to investigate the
quality of the atmosphere – the content of VOCs in air is a major parameter for
assessing its quality.
EXPERIMENTAL
Sampling
The samples were collected in Fyodorovskoje, the spruce forest of Sphagnum-Vaccinium myrtillus type
(56° 27’N, 32° 55’E), from 19 to 25th of July 2004, and in Pinus sylvestris forest (51° 30’N, 95° 03’E) near