Description and characterization of an on-line system for long-term measurements of isoprene, methyl vinyl ketone, and methacrolein in ambient air

In this work we present a detailed technical description of the system that was set up for long-term on-line measurements of isoprene and two of its major degradation products, methyl vinyl ketone and methacrolein in order to provide a better understanding of the role of forest stands as a complex source of reactive trace gases into the troposphere and to elucidate the role of forests as chemical reactors. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are preconcentrated on cartridges containing a package of two solid adsorbents (Tenax TA and Carbopack X). Ozone removal is performed prior to sampling by titration with nitrogen monoxide. For the calibration and characterization of the system, a diffusion source was built to produce standard gas mixtures of up to 16 different compounds with mixing ratios at tens ppt (parts per trillion) level mixing ratios and high accuracy. The developed system allows a reliable quantification of these VOCs (detection limit ∼10 ppt, reproducibility ∼5%) with a high temporal resolution (∼30 min) and has proven to be stable and run automatically without major maintainence.