On the reactive uptake of gaseous PAH molecules by micron-sized atmospheric water droplets

A falling droplet reactor was used to study the heterogeneous oxidation of gaseous PAH molecules adsorbed on a 92 μm diameter water droplet by ozone. The dynamic partition constant for the PAH between the droplet and air and the first-order surface rate constant was measured. The increase in uptake with ozone concentration was due to increased mass transfer via surface reaction of co-adsorbed ozone and PAH. The surface rate constant was rationalized through the Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanism. The rate constant was smaller for phenanthrene than naphthalene. The main reaction products identified in the aqueous phase indicated the peroxidic route for surface reaction of ozone with PAH. The heterogeneous reaction rate of ozone with adsorbed phenanthrene at the air–water interface of a 92-μm droplet was estimated to be 9300 times larger than the homogeneous reaction of ozone with phenanthrene in the gas phase and it was 76 times larger than the homogeneous oxidation by hydroxyl radical in the gas phase. For naphthalene that is more volatile, however, the homogeneous reaction with hydroxyl was more important. Increased organic carbon added to the droplet increased both the partition constant for phenanthrene and surface reaction with ozone. The partition constant for a droplet formed from actual fog water was much larger than for pure distilled water.