ALKYL NITRATES AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO REACTIVE NITROGEN AT A RURALSITE IN ONTARIO

Alkyl nitrates (C3-C6), NO, NO2, HNO3 and PAN were measured at a rural site in Ontario from 26 March to 27 April 1990. A series of nine alky l nitrates were measured daily at this site. The sum of the concentrat ions of these alkyl nitrates ranged from 29 to 87 ppt. The alkyl nitra tes were found to contribute, on average, only 1.8% of the sum of the odd nitrogen species. In this paper, we discuss the observed distribut ion of the alkyl nitrates in light of the relative formation and remov al processes. The observed concentration distribution is consistent wi th the relative formation rates calculated using the observed alkane c oncentrations, although it is somewhat skewed toward the lower molecul ar weight nitrates. The importance of the alkyl nitrates, relative to multifunctional organic nitrates that are produced from OH reaction wi th alkenes, is discussed.