OZONE LEVELS ASSOCIATED TO THE PHOTOCHEMICAL SMOG IN SANTIAGO OF CHILE: THE ELUSIVE ROL OF HYDROCARBONS
Santiago of Chile presents, in autumn and summer, high levels of oxidants and, in particular of ozone. Peculiar features of this phenomenon are a strong dependence of the contamination with the daily maxima temperature and a weekend effect, comprising relatively high ozone levels in spite of reduced emissions of its precursors. A common explanation of these effects could be an increase in the VOCs/NOx ratio. In order to test this possibility we perform la multiparametric analysis of Santiago's historical data. This data treatment corroborates a robust dependence of maxima ozone levels with temperature and a moderate weekend effect. In fact, ozone levels in weekend days are similar to those of working days, in spite of significantly reduced primary emissions (29 % of NOx and 20 % of CO). However, no increase in VOCs/NOx ratios, measured at the early morning rush out hours, is observed in high temperature days. On the other hand, the data suggest a moderate increase of the VOCs/NOx ratio in week ends. This would indicate that other factors beyond a simple increase in VOCs levels contribute to the above mentioned peculiarities of oxidant levels in the urban atmosphere of Santiago.
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Digital revista |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Sociedad Chilena de Química
2011
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| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0717-97072011000200019 |
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| Summary: | Santiago of Chile presents, in autumn and summer, high levels of oxidants and, in particular of ozone. Peculiar features of this phenomenon are a strong dependence of the contamination with the daily maxima temperature and a weekend effect, comprising relatively high ozone levels in spite of reduced emissions of its precursors. A common explanation of these effects could be an increase in the VOCs/NOx ratio. In order to test this possibility we perform la multiparametric analysis of Santiago's historical data. This data treatment corroborates a robust dependence of maxima ozone levels with temperature and a moderate weekend effect. In fact, ozone levels in weekend days are similar to those of working days, in spite of significantly reduced primary emissions (29 % of NOx and 20 % of CO). However, no increase in VOCs/NOx ratios, measured at the early morning rush out hours, is observed in high temperature days. On the other hand, the data suggest a moderate increase of the VOCs/NOx ratio in week ends. This would indicate that other factors beyond a simple increase in VOCs levels contribute to the above mentioned peculiarities of oxidant levels in the urban atmosphere of Santiago. |
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