Analytical Sciences

Atmospheric Acid Gases in Tokushima, Japan, Monitored with Parallel Plate Wet Denuder Coupled Ion Chromatograph

Masaki TAKEUCHI,* Yuki MIYAZAKI,** Hiromichi TSUNODA,** and Hideji TANAKA*

*Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, 1-78-1 Shomachi, Tokushima 770-8505, Japan
**Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokushima, 1-78-1 Shomachi, Tokushima 770-8505, Japan

During the summer of 2011 and winter of 2012, we continuously measured trace acid gas concentrations in Tokushima, Japan, using a parallel plate wet denuder coupled ion chromatograph. The average concentrations of hydrochloric acid (HCl), nitrous acid (HONO), nitric acid (HNO₃), and sulfur dioxide (SO₂) were, respectively, 0.54, 1.20, 1.17, and 3.22 μg m⁻³ in the summer, and 0.09, 1.06, 0.46, and 5.11 μg m⁻³ in the winter. In the summer, concentrations of all the acid gases increased after sunrise and showed a strong diurnal pattern with daytime maxima and nighttime minima, but the time at which concentration levels began to increase and the pace of increase differed among the acid gases. The concentration of HONO increased sharply immediately after sunrise, while concentrations of the other three gases began increasing about one and half hours later. SO₂ showed the fastest rate of increase, followed by HNO₃ and HCl. These differences were likely attributable to the formation processes of gaseous substances.

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