ABSTRACT
In the process of determining the chemical composition of atmospheric aerosol particles, it has become clear that some constituents are relatively inert and their composition depends little on the composition of the gaseous medium into which the aerosol particles are dispersed. The formation of sulfuric acid in the atmosphere, principally by oxidation of anthropogenic SO2, is the major source of acidity in aerosols. Homogeneous oxidation of SO2 to sulfuric acid is discussed under aerosols because acidic sulfate is found to be associated with aerosol particles in the atmosphere. The denuder is designed to effect nearly quantitative removal of analyte gases, but allow passage of aerosols with negligible loss because of their much lower diffusion rate. Y. H. Lee and C. Brosset also considered the thermodynamics of mixed salt aerosols in attempting to understand the potential for gas-particle interactions and artifacts therefrom in atmospheric sampling of acidic aerosols.
