Photooxidation of farnesene mixtures in the presence of NOx: Analysis of reaction products and their implication to ambient PM2.5

The contribution of farnesene SOA products to ambient PM2.5 was investigated by analyzing PM2.5 samples collected during SOAS 2013 field study at a site in Research Triangle Park (RTP), NC. The importance of these findings was supported by the occurrence of several organic species in both field and laboratory samples, suggesting the impact of farnesene on the ambient aerosol burden, mainly in areas where farnesene emissions are high. Although, pentanedioic acid and methylsuccinic acid appear to be candidate markers for farnesene SOA, additional chamber and mechanistic studies are required to estimate the contributions of farnesene to ambient SOA.