Secondary organic aerosol from biogenic volatile organic compound mixtures

The secondary organic aerosol (SOA) yields from the ozonolysis of a Siberian fir needle oil (SFNO), a Canadian fir needle oil (CFNO), and several SOA precursor mixtures containing reactive and non-reactive volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were investigated. The use of precursor mixtures more completely describes the atmosphere where many VOCs exist. The addition of non-reactive VOCs such as bornyl acetate, camphene, and borneol had very little to no effect on SOA yields. The oxidation of VOC mixtures with VOC mass percentages similar to the SFNO produced SOA yields that became more similar to the SOA yield from SFNO as the complexity and concentration of VOCs within the mixture became more similar to overall SFNO composition. The SOA yield produced by the oxidation of CFNO was within the error of the SOA yield produced by the oxidation of SFNO at a similar VOC concentration. The SOA yields from SFNO were modeled using the volatility basis set (VBS), which predicts the SOA yields for a given mass concentration of mixtures containing similar VOCs.

► SOA yields from the ozonolysis of fir needle oils and surrogates were measured.
► Non-ozone-reactive VOCs had little effect on SOA yields.
► As the surrogate composition approached the fir needle oil, yields were similar.
► SOA yields from fir needle oils were modeled using the volatility basis set.