Articles | Volume 22, issue 20
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-13431-2022
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-13431-2022
Research article
 | 
18 Oct 2022
Research article |  | 18 Oct 2022

Quantifying the importance of vehicle ammonia emissions in an urban area of northeastern USA utilizing nitrogen isotopes

Wendell W. Walters, Madeline Karod, Emma Willcocks, Bok H. Baek, Danielle E. Blum, and Meredith G. Hastings

Related authors

Evaluating Nitrogen Oxide and α-pinene Oxidation Chemistry: Insights from Oxygen and Nitrogen Stable Isotopes
Wendell W. Walters, Masayuki Takeuchi, Danielle E. Blum, Gamze Eris, David Tanner, Weiqi Xu, Jean Rivera-Rios, Fobang Liu, Tianchang Xu, Greg Huey, Justin B. Min, Rodney Weber, Nga L. Ng, and Meredith G. Hastings
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3860,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3860, 2024
Short summary
Incorporating Oxygen Isotopes of Oxidized Reactive Nitrogen in the Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism, version 2 (ICOIN-RACM2)
Wendell W. Walters, Masayuki Takeuchi, Nga L. Ng, and Meredith G. Hastings
Geosci. Model Dev., 17, 4673–4687, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-4673-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-4673-2024, 2024
Short summary
Nitrate chemistry in the northeast US – Part 1: Nitrogen isotope seasonality tracks nitrate formation chemistry
Claire Bekker, Wendell W. Walters, Lee T. Murray, and Meredith G. Hastings
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 4185–4201, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4185-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4185-2023, 2023
Short summary
Nitrate chemistry in the northeast US – Part 2: Oxygen isotopes reveal differences in particulate and gas-phase formation
Heejeong Kim, Wendell W. Walters, Claire Bekker, Lee T. Murray, and Meredith G. Hastings
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 4203–4219, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4203-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4203-2023, 2023
Short summary
Isotopic evidence for dominant secondary production of HONO in near-ground wildfire plumes
Jiajue Chai, Jack E. Dibb, Bruce E. Anderson, Claire Bekker, Danielle E. Blum, Eric Heim, Carolyn E. Jordan, Emily E. Joyce, Jackson H. Kaspari, Hannah Munro, Wendell W. Walters, and Meredith G. Hastings
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 13077–13098, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-13077-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-13077-2021, 2021
Short summary

Related subject area

Subject: Gases | Research Activity: Field Measurements | Altitude Range: Troposphere | Science Focus: Chemistry (chemical composition and reactions)
Accurate elucidation of oxidation under heavy ozone pollution: a full suite of radical measurements in the chemically complex atmosphere
Renzhi Hu, Guoxian Zhang, Haotian Cai, Jingyi Guo, Keding Lu, Xin Li, Shengrong Lou, Zhaofeng Tan, Changjin Hu, Pinhua Xie, and Wenqing Liu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 3011–3028, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3011-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3011-2025, 2025
Short summary
Emissions of intermediate-volatility and semi-volatile organic compounds (I/SVOCs) from different cumulative-mileage diesel vehicles at various ambient temperatures
Shuwen Guo, Xuan Zheng, Xiao He, Lewei Zeng, Liqiang He, Xian Wu, Yifei Dai, Zihao Huang, Ting Chen, Shupei Xiao, Yan You, Sheng Xiang, Shaojun Zhang, Jingkun Jiang, and Ye Wu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 2695–2705, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2695-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2695-2025, 2025
Short summary
Characterization of nitrous acid and its potential effects on secondary pollution in the warm season in Beijing urban areas
Junling Li, Chaofan Lian, Mingyuan Liu, Hao Zhang, Yongxin Yan, Yufei Song, Chun Chen, Jiaqi Wang, Haijie Zhang, Yanqin Ren, Yucong Guo, Weigang Wang, Yisheng Xu, Hong Li, Jian Gao, and Maofa Ge
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 2551–2568, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2551-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2551-2025, 2025
Short summary
Vertical changes in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and impacts on photochemical ozone formation
Xiao-Bing Li, Bin Yuan, Yibo Huangfu, Suxia Yang, Xin Song, Jipeng Qi, Xianjun He, Sihang Wang, Yubin Chen, Qing Yang, Yongxin Song, Yuwen Peng, Guiqian Tang, Jian Gao, Dasa Gu, and Min Shao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 2459–2472, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2459-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2459-2025, 2025
Short summary
Diurnal, seasonal, and interannual variations in δ(18O) of atmospheric O2 and its application to evaluate natural and anthropogenic changes in oxygen, carbon, and water cycles
Shigeyuki Ishidoya, Satoshi Sugawara, and Atsushi Okazaki
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 1965–1987, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1965-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1965-2025, 2025
Short summary

Cited articles

Ampollini, L., Katz, E. F., Bourne, S., Tian, Y., Novoselac, A., Goldstein, A. H., Lucic, G., Waring, M. S., and DeCarlo, P. F.: Observations and Contributions of Real-Time Indoor Ammonia Concentrations during HOMEChem, Environ. Sci. Technol., 53, 8591–8598, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b02157, 2019. 
Ashbaugh, L. L. and Eldred, R. A.: Loss of particle nitrate from teflon sampling filters: effects on measured gravimetric mass in California and in the IMPROVE network, J. Air Waste Manage., 54, 93–104, https://doi.org/10.1080/10473289.2004.10470878, 2004. 
Baek, B. H. and Seppanen, C.: CEMPD/SMOKE: SMOKE v4.8.1 Public Release (January 29, 2021), Zenodo, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4480334, 2021. 
Begum, B. A., Kim, E., Jeong, C.-H., Lee, D.-W., and Hopke, P. K.: Evaluation of the potential source contribution function using the 2002 Quebec forest fire episode, Atmos. Environ., 39, 3719–3724, 2005. 
Behera, S. N. and Sharma, M.: Investigating the potential role of ammonia in ion chemistry of fine particulate matter formation for an urban environment, Sci. Total Environ., 408, 3569–3575, 2010. 
Download
Short summary
Atmospheric ammonia and its products are a significant source of urban haze and nitrogen deposition. We have investigated the seasonal source contributions to a mid-sized city in the northeastern US megalopolis utilizing geospatial statistical analysis and novel isotopic constraints, which indicate that vehicle emissions were significant components of the urban-reduced nitrogen budget. Reducing vehicle ammonia emissions should be considered to improve ecosystems and human health.
Share
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint