Snow pollution by nitrogen-containing substances as a consequence of rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome

In this paper, we assessed snow pollution by nitrogen-containing substances including rocket propellants - UDMH (unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine, (СН₃)₂NNH₂) and NT (nitrogen tetroxide, N₂O₄) - and their transformation products (NDMA (nitrosodimethylamine, (CH₃)₂NNO), NO₃^-, NO₂^- and NH₄⁺) within the falling regions (FRs) of the first and second stages of Proton-M rockets launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. At the first stage FR in Central Kazakhstan, snow with a pH range from 1.7 to 9.0 was contaminated by N-containing substances (maximal value in g/L): UDMH - 0.27, NDMA - 0.04, NO₃^- - 19, NH₄⁺ - 0.04 and NO₂^- - 0.13. The first stage landing resulted in snow contamination by soil dust particles and N-containing substances at a rate of 13 g/m² and 82 mg/m²/day, respectively. The maximal permissible addition (MPA) for UDMH, NDMA and NO₃^- to the 0-5 cm layer of soil was estimated at 0.06, 0.006 and 70.2 mg/m², respectively. At the second stage FR in the NE Altai, substances released by space transportation were absent and the concentration of NO₃^- and NH₄⁺ corresponded to the natural background level. The index of contamination (IC) was used for characterizing the degree of snow contamination by N-containing substances. A simulation model was developed for analysing the dependence of snow contamination by rocket propellant components on the weather parameters.

Surface ozone characterization at Larsemann Hills and Maitri, Antarctica

Data are analyzed in terms of daily average ozone, its diurnal variation and its relation with meteorological parameters like dry bulb temperature (T), wet bulb temperature (T_w), atmospheric pressure and wind speed based on measurement of these parameters at two Indian Antarctic stations (Larsemann Hills, and Maitri) during 28th Indian Scientific Expedition of Antarctica (ISEA) organized during Antarctic summer of the year 2008-09. The work has been carried out to investigate summer time ozone level and its day-to-day and diurnal variability at these coastal locations and to highlight possible mechanism of ozone production and destruction. The result of the analysis indicates that daily average ozone concentration at Larsemann Hills varied from ~13 and ~20ppb with overall average value of ~16ppb and at Maitri, it varied from ~16 and ~21ppb with overall average value of ~18ppb. Photochemistry is found to partially contribute occasionally to the surface layer ozone at both the stations. Lower concentration of ozone at Maitri during beginning of the observational days may be due to destruction of ozone through activated halogens, whereas higher ozone on latter days may be due to photochemistry and advective transport from east to south-east areas. Ozone concentration during blizzard episodes at both the stations is reduced due to slow photochemical production of ozone, its photochemical removal and removal through deposition of ozone molecules on precipitation particles. Diurnal variation of ozone at Larsemann Hills and Maitri has been found to be absent.

Production of gas phase NO2 and halogens from the photolysis of thin water films containing nitrate, chloride and bromide ions at room temperature

Nitrate and halide ions coexist in particles generated in marine regions, around alkaline dry lakes, and in the Arctic snowpack. Although the photochemistry of nitrate ions in bulk aqueous solution is well known, there is recent evidence that it may be more efficient at liquid-gas interfaces, and that the presence of other ions in solution may enhance interfacial reactivity. This study examines the 311 nm photolysis of thin aqueous films of ternary halide-nitrate salt mixtures (NaCl-NaBr-NaNO3) deposited on the walls of a Teflon chamber at 298 K. The films were generated by nebulizing aqueous 0.25 M NaNO3 solutions which had NaCl and NaBr added to vary the mole fraction of halide ions. Molar ratios of chloride to bromide ions were chosen to be 0.25, 1.0, or 4.0. The subsequent generation of gas phase NO2 and reactive halogen gases (Br2, BrCl and Cl2) were monitored with time. The rate of gas phase NO2 formation was shown to be enhanced by the addition of the halide ions to thin films containing only aqueous NaNO3. At [Cl(-)]/[Br(-)] ≤ 1.0, the NO2 enhancement was similar to that observed for binary NaBr-NaNO3 mixtures, while with excess chloride NO2 enhancement was similar to that observed for binary NaCl-NaNO3 mixtures. Molecular dynamics simulations predict that the halide ions draw nitrate ions closer to the interface where a less complete solvent shell allows more efficient escape of NO2 to the gas phase, and that bromide ions are more effective in bringing nitrate ions closer to the surface. The combination of theory and experiments suggests that under atmospheric conditions where nitrate ion photochemistry plays a role, the impact of other species such as halide ions should be taken into account in predicting the impacts of nitrate ion photochemistry.

Role of nitrite in the photochemical formation of radicals in the snow

Photochemical reactions in snow can have an important impact on the composition of the atmosphere over snow-covered areas as well as on the composition of the snow itself. One of the major photochemical processes is the photolysis of nitrate leading to the formation of volatile nitrogen compounds. We report nitrite concentrations determined together with nitrate and hydrogen peroxide in surface snow collected at the coastal site of Barrow, Alaska. The results demonstrate that nitrite likely plays a significant role as a precursor for reactive hydroxyl radicals as well as volatile nitrogen oxides in the snow. Pollution events leading to high concentrations of nitrous acid in the atmosphere contributed to an observed increase in nitrite in the surface snow layer during nighttime. Observed daytime nitrite concentrations are much higher than values predicted from steady-state concentrations based on photolysis of nitrate and nitrite indicating that we do not fully understand the production of nitrite and nitrous acid in snow. The discrepancy between observed and expected nitrite concentrations is probably due to a combination of factors, including an incomplete understanding of the reactive environment and chemical processes in snow, and a lack of consideration of the vertical structure of snow.

Using singlet molecular oxygen to probe the solute and temperature dependence of liquid-like regions in/on ice

Liquid-like regions (LLRs) are found at the surfaces and grain boundaries of ice and as inclusions within ice. These regions contain most of the solutes in ice and can be (photo)chemically active hotspots in natural snow and ice systems. If we assume all solutes partition into LLRs as a solution freezes, freezing-point depression predicts that the concentration of a solute in LLRs is higher than its concentration in the prefrozen (or melted) solution by the freeze-concentration factor (F). Here we use singlet molecular oxygen production to explore the effects of total solute concentration ([TS]) and temperature on experimentally determined values of F. For ice above its eutectic temperature, measured values of F agree well with freezing-point depression when [TS] is above ∼1 mmol/kg; at lower [TS] values, measurements of F are lower than predicted from freezing-point depression. For ice below its eutectic temperature, the influence of freezing-point depression on F is damped; the extreme case is with Na2SO4 as the solute, where F shows essentially no agreement with freezing-point depression. In contrast, for ice containing 3 mmol/kg NaCl, measured values of F agree well with freezing-point depression over a range of temperatures, including below the eutectic. Our experiments also reveal that the photon flux in LLRs increases in the presence of salts, which has implications for ice photochemistry in the lab and, perhaps, in the environment.

Photochemical processing of aldrin and dieldrin in frozen aqueous solutions under arctic field conditions

Organochlorine (OC) contaminants are transported to the Polar Regions, where they have the potential to bioaccumulate, presenting a threat to the health of wildlife and indigenous communities. They deposit onto snowpack during winter, and accumulate until spring, when they experience prolonged solar irradiation until snowmelt occurs. Photochemical degradation rates for aldrin and dieldrin, in frozen aqueous solution made from MilliQ water, 500 μM hydrogen peroxide solution or locally-collected melted snow were measured in a field campaign near Barrow, AK, during spring-summer 2008. Significant photoprocessing of both pesticides occurs; the reactions depend on temperature, depth within the snowpack and whether the predominant phase is ice or liquid water. The effect of species present in natural snowpack is comparable to 500 μM hydrogen peroxide, pointing to the potential significance of snowpack-mediated reactions. Aldrin samples frozen at near 0 °C were more reactive than comparable liquid samples, implying that the microenvironments experienced on frozen ice surfaces are an important consideration.

Nitrite-induced oxidation of organic coatings on models for airborne particles

The UV photolysis at lambda > or = 290 nm in air of a mixture of NaNO(2)/NaCl coated with 1-oleoyl-2-palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (OPPC) was followed in real time in the absence and presence of water vapor by using diffuse reflection infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) at 23 degrees C. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) was used to confirm the identification of the products. Photolysis of NO(2)(-) is known to generate O(-), which in the presence of water forms OH + OH(-). Irradiation of the OPPC/NaNO(2)/NaCl mixture led to a loss of nitrite and the formation of organic nitrates and carbonyl compounds. In the absence of added water vapor, carboxylate ions were also formed. These products are due to oxidation of OPPC by O(-) and OH radicals. The organic products formed per calculated O(-)/OH generated by photolysis increased with relative humidity, consistent with a competition between OPPC and NO(2)(-) for OH. This suggests a new mechanism of oxidation of organics on particles and on surfaces in air that have nitrite ions available for photolysis. Similar chemistry is likely to occur for nitrate ions, which also photolyze to generate O(-).

Organic contaminant amplification during snowmelt

The release of organic contaminants from melting snow poses risks to aquatic and terrestrial organisms and to humans who rely on drinking water and food production from regions that are seasonally snow-covered. Measured and model-predicted spring peak concentrations in waters receiving snowmelt motivate a thorough investigation of organic contaminant behaviour during melting. On the basis of the current understanding of snow metamorphosis, snowmelt hydrology and chemical partitioning in snow, this critical review aims to provide a qualitative picture of the processes involved in the release of organic contaminants from a melting snowpack. The elution sequence of organic substances during snowmelt is strongly dependent on their environmental partitioning properties and the physical properties of the snowpack. Water-soluble organic contaminants can be discharged in greatly elevated concentrations at an early stage of melting, while the bulk of the hydrophobic chemicals attached to particles is often released at the end of the melt period. Melting of a highly metamorphosed and deep snowpack promotes such shock load releases, whereas a shallow snow cover over a relatively warm ground experiencing irregular melting over the winter season is unlikely to generate notable peak releases of organic substances. Meltwater runoff over frozen ground directly transfers contaminant shock loads into receiving water bodies, while permeable soils buffer and dilute the contaminants. A more quantitative understanding of the behaviour of organic contaminants in varying snowmelt scenarios will depend on controlled laboratory studies combined with field investigations. Reliable numerical process descriptions will need to be developed to integrate water quality and contaminant fate models.

Release of Oxygen Atoms and Nitric Oxide Molecules from the Ultraviolet Photodissociation of Nitrate Adsorbed on Water Ice Films at 100 K

Production of O((3)P(J), J = 2, 1, 0) atoms from the 295-320 nm photodissociation of NO(3)- adsorbed on water polycrystalline ice films at 100 K was directly confirmed using the resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization technique. Detection of the O atom signals required an induction period after deposition of HNO3 onto the ice film held at 130 K due to the slow ionization rate of HNO(3) to H+ and NO(3)- with a rate constant of k = (5.3 +/- 0.2) x 10(-3)s(-1). Translational energy distributions of the O atoms were represented by a combination of two Maxwell-Boltzmann energy distributions with translational temperatures of 2000 and 100 K. Direct detection of NO from the secondary photodissociation process was also successful. On the atmospheric implications, the influence of the direct release of the oxygen atoms into the air from NO(3)- adsorbed on the natural snowpack was included in an atmospheric model calculation on the mixing ratios of ozone and nitric oxide at the South Pole, and the results compared favorably with the field data.

Reaction dynamics following electron capture of chlorofluorocarbon adsorbed on water cluster: A direct density functional theory molecular dynamics study

The electron capture dynamics of halocarbon and its water complex have been investigated by means of the full dimensional direct density functional theory molecular dynamics method in order to shed light on the mechanism of electron capture of a halocarbon adsorbed on the ice surface. The CF(2)Cl(2) molecule and a cyclic water trimer (H(2)O)(3) were used as halocarbon and water cluster, respectively. The dynamics calculation of CF(2)Cl(2) showed that both C-Cl bonds are largely elongated after the electron capture, while one of the Cl atoms is dissociated from CF(2)Cl(2) (-) as a Cl(-) ion. Almost all total available energy was transferred into the internal modes of the parent CF(2)Cl radical on the product state, while the relative translational energy of Cl(-) was significantly low due to the elongation of two C-Cl bonds. In the case of a halocarbon-water cluster system, the geometry optimization of neutral complex CF(2)Cl(2)(H(2)O)(3) showed that one of the Cl atoms interacts with n orbital of water molecules of trimer and the other Cl atom existed as a dangling Cl atom. After the electron capture, only one C-Cl bond (dangling Cl atom) was rapidly elongated, whereas the other C-Cl bond is silent during the reaction. The dangling Cl atom was directly dissociated from CF(2)Cl(2) (-)(H(2)O)(3) as Cl(-). The fast Cl(-) ion was generated from CF(2)Cl(2) (-)(H(2)O)(3) on the water cluster. The mechanism of the electron capture of halocarbon on water ice was discussed on the basis of the theoretical results.

Potential Role of the Nitroacidium Ion on HONO Emissions from the Snowpack

The effects of photolysis on frozen, thin films of water-ice containing nitrogen dioxide (as its dimer dinitrogen tetroxide) have been investigated using a combination of Fourier transform reflection-absorption infrared (FT-RAIR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The release of HONO is ascribed to a mechanism in which nitrosonium nitrate (NO+NO3-) is formed. Subsequent solvation of the cation leads to the nitroacidium ion, H2ONO+, i.e., protonated nitrous acid. The pathway proposed explains why the field measurement of HONO at different polar sites is often contradictory.

Enhanced protonation of cresol red in acidic aqueous solutions caused by freezing

The protonation degree of cresol red (CR) in frozen aqueous solutions at 253 or 77 K, containing various acids (HF, HCl, HNO3, H2SO4, and p-toluenesulfonic acid), sodium hydroxide, NaCl, or NH4Cl, was examined using UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy. CR, a weak organic diacid, has been selected as a model system to study the acid-base interactions at the grain boundaries of ice. The multivariate curve resolution alternating least-squares method was used to determine the number and abundances of chemical species responsible for the overlaying absorption visible spectra measured. The results showed that the extent of CR protonation, enhanced in the solid state by 2-4 orders of magnitude in contrast to the liquid solution, is principally connected to an increase in the local concentration of acids. It was found that this enhancement was not very sensitive to either the freezing rate or the type of acid used and that CR apparently established an acid-base equilibrium prior to solidification. In addition, the presence of inorganic salts, such as NaCl or NH4Cl, is reported to cause a more efficient deprotonation of CR in the former case and an enhanced protonation in the latter case, being well explained by the theory of Bronshteyn and Chernov. CR thus served as an acid-base indicator at the grain boundaries of ice samples. Structural changes in the CR molecule induced by lowering the temperature and a presence of the constraining ice environment were studied by the absorption and 1H NMR spectroscopies. Cryospheric and atmospheric implications concerning the influence of acids and bases on composition and reactivity of ice or snow contaminants were examined.

Kinetics of NO and NO2 Evolution from Illuminated Frozen Nitrate Solutions

The release of NO and NO2 from frozen aqueous NaNO3 irradiated at 313 nm was studied using time-resolved spectroscopic techniques. The kinetic behavior of NO and NO2 signals during on-and-off illumination cycles confirms that NO2 is a primary photoproduct evolving from the outermost ice layers and reveals that NO is a secondary species generated deeper in the ice, whence it eventually emerges due to its inertness and larger diffusivity. NO is shown to be more weakly held than NO2 by ice in thermal desorption experiments on preirradiated samples. The partial control of gaseous emissions by mass transfer, and hence by the morphology and metamorphisms of polycrystalline ice, is established by (1) the nonmonotonic temperature dependence of NO and NO2 signals upon stepwise warming under continuous illumination, (2) the fact that the NO, NO2 or NOx (NOx identical with NO + NO2) amounts released in bright thermograms performed under various heating ramps fail to scale with photon dose, due to irreversible losses in the adsorbed state. Because present NO/NO2 ratios are up to 10-fold smaller than those determined over sunlit snowpacks, we infer that the immediate precursors to NO mostly absorb at lambda > lambda(max) (NO3-) approximately 302 nm.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) created by gamma-rays in Antarctic ice and rime ice

Antarctic ice and rime ice after gamma-irradiation at 77 K were studied by electron spin resonance (ESR). The signal of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) was detected in both ices. The NO2 in the Antarctic ice, in particular, may be created from NO3- by reactions associated with intrinsic OH radicals. The detection limit of NO2 in solid samples was estimated to be approximately 0.02 ppm with ESR. The analysis using ESR in natural ice has a potential to trace environmental NO2.

Snow metamorphism as revealed by scanning electron microscopy

Current theories of snow metamorphism indicate that sublimating snow crystals have rounded shapes, while growing crystals have shapes that depend on growth rates. At slow growth rates, crystals are rounded. At moderate rates, they have flat faces with rounded edges. At fast growth rates, crystals have flat faces with sharp edges, and they have hollow faces at very fast growth rates. The main growth/sublimation mechanism is thought to be by the homogeneous nucleation of new layers at or near crystal edges. It was also suggested that the equilibrium shape of snow crystals would be temperature dependent: rounded above -10.5 degrees C, and faceted below. To test these paradigms, we have performed SEM investigations of snow samples having undergone metamorphism under natural conditions, and of snow samples subjected to isothermal metamorphism at -4 degrees and -15 degrees C in the laboratory. In general, current theories predicting crystal shapes as a function of growth rates, and of whether crystals are growing or sublimating, are verified. However, the transition in equilibrium shapes from rounded to faceted at -10.5 degrees C is not observed in our isothermal experiments that reveal a predominance of rounded shapes after more than a month of metamorphism at -4 and -15 degrees C. Some small crystals with flat faces that also have sharp angles at -15 degrees C, are observed in our isothermal experiments. These faces are newly formed, and contradict current theory. Several hypotheses are proposed to explain their occurrence. One is that they are due to sublimation at emerging dislocations.