PTR-MS measurements of non-methane volatile organic compounds during an intensive field campaign at the summit of Mount Tai, China, in June 2006

A study conducted at the summit of Mount Tai, China, in June 2006 revealed that oxygenated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were predominant among non-methane VOCs (NMVOCs), contributing significantly to tropospheric ozone chemistry. Using proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS), researchers detected over thirty types of NMVOCs, including alkenes, aromatics, alcohols, aldehydes, and ketones, with notable diurnal variations driven by local photochemistry. An episode of high NMVOC concentrations on the night of June 12 was attributed to agricultural biomass burning. The study compared ΔNMVOCs/ΔCO ratios from this event and a period without biomass burning plume to emission ratios from various sources, providing insights into VOC dynamics in industrialized regions.

Inomata, S., Tanimoto, H., Kato, S., Suthawaree, J., Kanaya, Y., Pochanart, P., Liu, Y., & Wang, Z. (2010). PTR-MS measurements of non-methane volatile organic compounds during an intensive field campaign at the summit of Mount Tai, China, in June 2006. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 10(15), 7085–7099. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-7085-2010