Modeling SOA Formation via Multiphase Reactions of Hydrocarbons under Indoor Light Environments

SPENCER BLAU, Myoseon Jang, University of Florida

     Abstract Number: 250
     Working Group: Indoor Aerosols

Abstract
The majority of the lives of many people in modern society is spent indoors. There are many Volatile Compound Products (VCPs) in indoor spaces. Examples of VCPs include cleaning agents, personal care products, paints, and pesticides. However, the full effect of these products on health is not currently known. Particularly, their atmospheric process in indoor environments has not been identified. The purpose of this study is to extend the UNIfied Partitioning Aerosol Reaction (UNIPAR) model to the prediction of Secondary Organic Aerosol (SOA) formation indoors. The UNIPAR-Indoor model utilizes lumping species that originates from explicitly predicted products, produced during the atmospheric oxidation of a precursor hydrocarbon, is employed to process products’ multiphase partitioning and aerosol phase reactions. To demonstrate the model, toluene (aromatic hydrocarbon) and α-pinene (terpene) are chosen as they are the most abundant SOA-forming hydrocarbons present in indoor settings. The experiments are conducted using a 2.0 m³ indoor Teflon film reactor which is equipped with commercialized cool fluorescent lamps or cool LED lamps. α-Pinene is examined in the presence of ozone with indoor light environments and without indoor light environments. The SOA formation from the oxidation of both toluene and α-pinene is also simulated by using UNIPAR-Indoor with indoor light environments under different NOx conditions. It also tests toluene and α-pinene together without indoor light environments to examine the impact of the OH radical biproduct from α-pinene ozonolysis on toluene oxidation.