Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2019-6
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2019-6
28 Jan 2019
 | 28 Jan 2019
Status: this preprint has been withdrawn by the authors.

Observation of nocturnal NO3 during vehicular activities in the medium sized city of Calicut in coastal India

Kuttoth Suhail, Ramachandran Arun, Shreya Joshi, John Shebin, Saseendran Aiswarya, Pakkattil Anoop, Viswanath Deepa, and Ravi Varma

Abstract. Nitrate radical (NO3) is the most important nocturnal oxidant in urban atmosphere. The city of Calicut (Kozhikode) is a medium sized urban location in India. One of the bus terminals at Palayam part of the city [11.2495° N, 75.7842° E] is adjacent to the vegetable sorting facilities cum market, both of which have intense activities by buses and trucks from about 3 AM till about 8 PM on all working days. We report preliminary measurements observing NO3 on five nights during a weeklong measurement campaign in the autumn of 2018. Measurements were made between 10 PM and 6 AM, and focus was when diesel vehicles were found idling along about half a km stretch during 3–6 AM while the loading/unloading of vegetables at sorting facility happens. Incoherent Broadband Cavity Enhanced Absorption Spectroscopic technique in open-path configuration (OP-IBBCEAS) was employed for measurements. The instrument was installed 8.5 m above the ground level over the east wing of Palayam bus terminal building adjacent to the vegetable market. The 285 cm long optical resonator was arranged on a custom-made aluminium profile platform 1 m high. The stability of the instrument for the entire period of measurement was excellent, and high NO3 mixing ratios with levels exceeding several hundred pptv were observed during early morning hours when heavy vehicles were idling. The highest NO3 mixing ratio observed was (497 ± 140) pptv during one of the nights. The fit uncertainty, which was considered as the uncertainty in retrieved concentration, was found to increase with increased aerosol loading. The uncertainty for a spectral averaging interval of 10 min was recorded as ~20 pptv and ~100 pptv during the lowest and the highest aerosol loading events respectively.

This preprint has been withdrawn.

Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this preprint. The responsibility to include appropriate place names lies with the authors.
Kuttoth Suhail, Ramachandran Arun, Shreya Joshi, John Shebin, Saseendran Aiswarya, Pakkattil Anoop, Viswanath Deepa, and Ravi Varma

Interactive discussion

Status: closed
Status: closed
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
Printer-friendly Version - Printer-friendly version Supplement - Supplement
  • RC1: 'Review', Anonymous Referee #1, 11 Feb 2019 Printer-friendly Version
  • RC2: 'Review', Anonymous Referee #2, 05 Mar 2019 Printer-friendly Version

Interactive discussion

Status: closed
Status: closed
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
Printer-friendly Version - Printer-friendly version Supplement - Supplement
  • RC1: 'Review', Anonymous Referee #1, 11 Feb 2019 Printer-friendly Version
  • RC2: 'Review', Anonymous Referee #2, 05 Mar 2019 Printer-friendly Version
Kuttoth Suhail, Ramachandran Arun, Shreya Joshi, John Shebin, Saseendran Aiswarya, Pakkattil Anoop, Viswanath Deepa, and Ravi Varma
Kuttoth Suhail, Ramachandran Arun, Shreya Joshi, John Shebin, Saseendran Aiswarya, Pakkattil Anoop, Viswanath Deepa, and Ravi Varma

Viewed

Total article views: 1,815 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total BibTeX EndNote
1,386 372 57 1,815 66 62
  • HTML: 1,386
  • PDF: 372
  • XML: 57
  • Total: 1,815
  • BibTeX: 66
  • EndNote: 62
Views and downloads (calculated since 28 Jan 2019)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 28 Jan 2019)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 1,555 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 1,534 with geography defined and 21 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 
Latest update: 23 Nov 2024
Download

This preprint has been withdrawn.

Short summary
Open Path Incoherent Broad Band Cavity Enhanced Absorption Spectroscopy (OP–IBBCEAS) technique was found useful in sensitive ambient monitoring of nocturnal nitrate radical (NO3) in a medium sized urban location of Calicut city, India, for the first time; highest observed value was ~0.5 ppbv. The measurement location witnessed idling diesel vehicles activities during high observed NO3 levels. Concurrent PM measurements showed increased detection uncertainty during high aerosol loading events.