AMBIENT ATMOSPHERIC TRACE GAS CONCENTRATIONS AND METEOROLOGICAL PARAMETERS DURING THE FIRST BEMA MEASURING CAMPAIGN ON MAY 1994 AT CASTELPORZIANO, ITALY

During the first measuring campaign of the BEMA project, carried out i n May 1994 at Castelporziano, near Rome, Italy, one of the tasks was t o measure continuously meteorological parameters and tropospheric trac e gas concentrations. The atmospheric species measured were ozone, NOx , anthropogenic and biogenic hydrocarbons, carbonyl compounds, hydroge n peroxide, organic peroxides and PAN. Another goal was the characteri zation of the atmospheric circulation patterns. The results showed tha t anthropogenic pollution is present at the Castelporziano site origin ating mainly from the Rome metropolitan area but also from other direc tions. The average concentration levels of NOx were about 9 ppb, the a verage total measured anthropogenic hydrocarbon concentration was 67 p pbC and the average ozone mixing ratio was 36 ppb. The possible role o f naturally emitted VOCs in tropospheric ozone formation is discussed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.