Atmospheric Measurement Techniques Discussions www.atmos-meas-tech-discuss.net 1867-8610 3 1 2010 10.5194/amtd-3-301-2010 http://www.atmos-meas-tech-discuss.net/3/301/2010/ http://www.atmos-meas-tech-discuss.net/3/301/2010/amtd-3-301-2010.html http://www.atmos-meas-tech-discuss.net/3/301/2010/amtd-3-301-2010.pdf 301 331 2010-01-28 Measurement of HONO, HNCO, and other inorganic acids by negative-ion proton-transfer chemical-ionization mass spectrometry (NI-PT-CIMS): application to biomass burning emissions J. M. Roberts james.m.roberts@noaa.gov P. Veres C. Warneke J. A. Neuman R. A. Washenfelder S. S. Brown M. Baasandorj J. B. Burkholder I. R. Burling T. J. Johnson R. J. Yokelson J. de Gouw NOAA/ESRL, Chemical Sciences Division, R/CSD7, 325 Broadway, Boulder, Colorado, USA CIRES, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA University of Montana, Department of Chemistry, Missoula, MT, USA Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA 99354, USA A negative-ion proton transfer chemical ionization mass spectrometric technique (NI-PT-CIMS), using acetate as the reagent ion, was applied to the measurement of volatile inorganic acids of atmospheric interest: hydrochloric (HCl), nitrous (HONO), nitric (HNO₃), and isocyanic (HNCO) acids. Gas phase calibrations through the sampling inlet showed the method to be intrinsically sensitive (6–16 cts/pptv), but prone to inlet effects for HNO₃ and HCl. The ion chemistry was found to be insensitive to water vapor concentrations, in agreement with previous studies of carboxylic acids. The inlet equilibration times for HNCO and HONO were 2 to 4 s, allowing for measurement in biomass burning studies. 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