Measuring Wet Deposition of Semi- Volatile Organic Compounds in and near a Virginia Forest

RAINA LENEAR, Christos Stamatis, Graham Frazier, Gabriel Isaacman-VanWertz, Virginia Tech

     Abstract Number: 351
     Working Group: Remote and Regional Atmospheric Aerosol

Abstract
During precipitation events gas and particle concentrations decline substantially, followed by a recovery period prior to a subsequent precipitation event. We use empirical observations of the decrease in concentration of individual organic compounds during precipitation events to quantify their scavenging rates. Hourly concentrations of gas- and particle-phase compounds were collected by the Semi-Volatile Thermal Desorption Aerosol Gas chromatograph (SV-TAG) at several locations throughout Virginia. These data are coupled with available precipitation data to quantify removal through wet deposition. These data are used to improve understanding of both the direct impacts of wet deposition on aerosol mass loading, through the removal of particle-phase components, and the indirect effects through the removal of potential aerosol-forming gases. Observations will be compared to theoretical estimates and observations from other ecosystems to more broadly understand the influence of wet deposition on present aerosol mass and other important atmospheric chemical processes.