Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
AMT
Preprints
Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2022-294
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2022-294
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Preprints
03 Nov 2022
 | 03 Nov 2022
Status: a revised version of this preprint was accepted for the journal AMT and is expected to appear here in due course.

Ethylene Oxide Monitor with Part-per-Trillion Precision for In-Situ Measurements

Tara I. Yacovitch, Christoph Dyroff, Joseph R. Roscioli, Conner Daube, J. Barry McManus, and Scott C. Herndon

Abstract. An Aerodyne Tunable Infrared Direct Absorption Spectrometer with 413 meter cell for the detection of ethylene oxide (EtO) is presented (TILDAS-FD-EtO). This monitor achieves precisions of <75 ppt or <0.075 ppb in 1 second and < 20 ppt in 100 seconds (1-sigma). We demonstrate precisions averaging down to 4 ppt in an hour (1-sigma precision) when operated with frequent humidity-matched zeroes. A months-long record of 2022 ambient concentrations at a site in the Eastern United States is presented. Average ambient EtO concentration is on the order of 18 ppt (22 ppt standard deviation). Enhancement events of EtO lasting a few hours are observed, with peaks as high as 600 ppt. Back trajectory simulations suggest an EtO source nearly 35 km away. This source along with another are confirmed as emitters through mobile near-source measurements, with downwind concentrations in the 0.5 ppb to 700 ppb range depending on source identity and distance downwind.

How to cite. Yacovitch, T. I., Dyroff, C., Roscioli, J. R., Daube, C., McManus, J. B., and Herndon, S. C.: Ethylene Oxide Monitor with Part-per-Trillion Precision for In-Situ Measurements, Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss. [preprint], https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2022-294, in review, 2022.
Received: 20 Oct 2022 – Discussion started: 03 Nov 2022

Tara I. Yacovitch et al.

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse

Tara I. Yacovitch et al.

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2022-294-supplement

Data sets

Dataset for "Ethylene Oxide Monitor with Part-per-Trillion Precision for In-Situ Measurements" Tara I. Yacovitch, Christoph Dyroff, Joseph R. Roscioli, Conner Daube, J. Barry McManus, Scott C. Herndon https://osf.io/jeywd/?view_only=421c0d48e2d1449488c14f883a7859b6

Tara I. Yacovitch et al.

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Executive editor
I agree with the handling editor that the technique described is a breakthrough in analytical capability with potential wide ranging applications.
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Short summary
Ethylene oxide is a toxic, carcinogenic compound used in the medical and bulk sterilization industry. Here we describe a precise and fast laser-based ethylene oxide monitor. We report months-long concentrations at a Massachusetts site, and we show how they suggest a potential emission source 35 km away. This source, and another, are confirmed by driving the instrument downwind of the sites, where concentrations were tens to tens of thousands of times greater than background levels.
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