ARS | Publication request: Atmospheric reactivity studies of aliphatic amines

Submitted to: American Chemical Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: May 17, 2012
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Ambient studies of particulate matter have shown that alkyl amines are often present in particles in areas impacted by agricultural emissions. These locations include California’s Central Valley and Inland Empire and Utah’s Cache Valley. These compounds are not typically observed in airsheds that solely contain urban/suburban sources leading to speculation that agricultural influences may be important sources. Our research team has conducted a number of experiments using an environmental smog chamber to understand the fate of amines in the atmosphere. Atmospheric reactions of amines are a competitive process between acid-base interactions (similar to ammonia) and photochemical radical reactions (similar to other organic compounds). Primary, secondary, and tertiary amines appear to have divergent chemical mechanisms and product formation, but resulting in surprising amounts of aerosol formation despite the small sizes of the molecules.