Tropospheric Chemistry: VOC Instruments

Airborne Chromatograph for Hydrocarbons (TACOH)

Principle of the Measurement

Sampling of VOCs in a cryostat
Injection onto a chromatographic column
Detection with either a flame-ionization detector (FID) or a mass spectrometer (MS)

Species Measured

1. Alkanes
2. Alkenes
3. Alkynes
4. Aromatics
5. Biogenic VOCs (isoprene, monoterpenes)
6. Alcohols
7. Ketones
8. Aldehydes
9. Nitriles
10. Dimethyl sulfide
11. Halocarbons
12. Alkyl nitrates

Time Response / Detection Limit

5 minute sample time, 1 sample per 30 min / 0.1-10 pptv

Field Projects

Deployed onboard the NOAA R/V Ronald H. Brown, and at several ground sites.

• INDOEX 1999
• MINOS 2001
• ITCT 2002
• NEAQS 2002
• ICARTT 2004
• MILAGRO 2006
• TexAQS 2006
• BEARPEX 2007
• ARCPAC 2008
• ICEALOT 2008
• CalNex 2010
• NACHTT 2011
• BioCORN 2011
• SONNE 2012
• UBWOS 2012
• SENEX 2013

Key Publications

P. D. Goldan, W. C. Kuster, E. Williams, P. C. Murphy, F. C. Fehsenfeld, and J. Meagher, Nonmethane hydrocarbon and oxy hydrocarbon measurements during the 2002 New England Air Quality Study, Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres, doi:10.1029/2003JD004455, 2004.