An Intermethod Comparison of X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopic (ESCA) Analysis of Atmospheric Particulate Matter

B. R. Appel Air and Industrial Hygiene Labororatory, Laboratory Services Program, California State Department of Health, 2151 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA, 94704, U.S.A.

J. J. Wesolowski Air and Industrial Hygiene Labororatory, Laboratory Services Program, California State Department of Health, 2151 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA, 94704, U.S.A.

E. Hoffer Air and Industrial Hygiene Labororatory, Laboratory Services Program, California State Department of Health, 2151 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA, 94704, U.S.A.

S. Twiss Air and Industrial Hygiene Labororatory, Laboratory Services Program, California State Department of Health, 2151 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA, 94704, U.S.A.

S. Wall Air and Industrial Hygiene Labororatory, Laboratory Services Program, California State Department of Health, 2151 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA, 94704, U.S.A.

S. G. Chang Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720, U.S.A.

T. Novakov Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720, U.S.A.

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Abstract

A comparison of ESCA with wet chemical and other analytical techniques has demonstrated agreement within about a factor of 2 for sulfate and carbon but gave much larger deviations for nitrate and ammonium in analysis of atmospheric particulate samples collected in California's South Coast Basin. Analyses for nitrate and ammonium were low by a factor of 5 to 10 relative to the wet chemical methods. Loss of volatile ammonium- and nitrate-containing materials under the high vacuum and localized X-ray beam-induced heating conditions of ESCA was the most reasonable explanation of the discrepancy. Detailed temperature programmed ESCA studies support this conclusion and suggest the significance of highly volatile nitrate (e.g. nitric acid) and ammonium compounds in the atmospheric particles.

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An Intermethod Comparison of X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopic (ESCA) Analysis of Atmospheric Particulate Matter

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An Intermethod Comparison of X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopic (ESCA) Analysis of Atmospheric Particulate Matter

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