THE ATMOSPHERIC AEROSOL-FORMING POTENTIAL OF WHOLE GASOLINE VAPOR

A series of sunlight-irradiated, smog-chamber experiments confirmed th at the atmospheric organic aerosol formation potential of whole gasoli ne vapor can be accounted for solely in terms of the aromatic fraction of the fuel. The total amount of secondary organic aerosol produced f rom the atmospheric oxidation of whole gasoline vapor can be represent ed as the sum of the contributions of the individual aromatic molecula r constituents of the fuel. The urban atmospheric, anthropogenic hydro carbon profile is approximated well by evaporated whole gasoline, and thus these results suggest that it is possible to model atmospheric se condary organic aerosol formation.