Enhancement of acidic gases in biomass burning impacted air masses over Canada

Abstract

Biomass‐burning impacted air masses sampled over central and eastern Canada during the summer of 1990 as part of ABLE 3B contained enhanced mixing ratios of gaseous HNO 3 , HCOOH, CH 3 COOH, and what appears to be (COOH) 2 . These aircraft‐based samples were collected from a variety of fresh burning plumes and more aged haze layers from different source regions. Values of the enhancement factor, ΔX/ΔCO, where X represents an acidic gas, for combustion‐impacted air masses sampled both near and farther away from the fires, were relatively uniform. However, comparison of carboxylic acid emission ratios measured in laboratory fires to field plume enhancement factors indicates significant in‐plume production of HCOOH. Biomass‐burning appears to be an important source of HNO 3 , HCOOH, and CH 3 COOH to the troposphere over subarctic Canada.