|
(55-02) Atmospheric Fate of Oxygenated VOCs: A Review. Barnes, Ian*,1, 1 Bergische University Wuppertal, Physical Chemistry / FB9,Gauss Strasse 20, Wuppertal, Germany ABSTRACT- Oxygenated organic compounds are currently under consideration as potential replacements for the traditional aromatic hydrocarbon and chlorinated organic solvents. The drive behind the search for replacements is the need for more environmentally acceptable solvents with respect to ambient air quality, i.e. compounds which will help to reduce the tropospheric ozone and photo-oxidant burden. However, even the use of oxygenated replacements will still lead to the eventual release of these compounds to the atmosphere where they will undergo photo-oxidative degradation processes, the most important and often dominant being reaction with the OH radical. Accurate kinetic data and mechanistic information on the atmospheric fate of replacement oxygenated solvents are, therefore, essential components in any attempts to reliably assess the ozone forming potential of these substances and their possible contribution to photochemical air pollution in urban and regional areas. Although the rate coefficients for the reaction of OH with many different classes of oxygenated compounds are now reasonably well established, details pertaining to the complex reaction mechanisms are still often fragmentary. The status concerning the atmospheric fate and potential benefits or detrimental effects of a wide variety of different oxygenated VOCs under consideration as alternative solvents or employed in the formulation of fuels will be reviewed. Key words: oxygenated VOCs, solvents, fuels, atmospheric photochemistry |
