Oxidation of sulphur dioxide in artificial fogs by ozone

Abstract

The rate of oxidation of sulphur dioxide by ozone at atmospheric concentrations has been measured in fogs which were formed in a specially constructed steel chamber. At 10°C the rate was proportional to the first power of the ozone concentration, and its absolute value was in agreement with that calculated from data obtained on the reaction between ozone and bisulphite ions in water using the stopped-flow method (Penkett, S. A., Nature Phys. Sci. 240, 105, 1972). The reaction at an ozone concentration of 0.05 p.p.m. was substantially faster than the reaction of SO₂ with air alone in the fogs and it is shown that the ozone reaction is sufficiently rapid to account for most observations of sulphate levels found in cloud and rain water.DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1974.tb01979.x