Application of the SO42−/Se tracer technique to study SO2 oxidation in cloud and fog on a time scale of minutes

We have demonstrated the use of Se as a tracer to quantitatively determine in situ SO42− production from SO2 oxidation in clouds and fogs. Until now, it has not been possible to study the kinetics of SO2 oxidation because the aerosol sampling interval for Se determination was limited to 2 h or longer. Here we report results of 5-min aerosol measurements carried out at Lahore, Pakistan, during January 9–11, 2001, using new methodology for Se analysis coupled with hydride generation and ICP-MS detection. These improvements will enable the tracer technique to determine in situ SO42− production in clouds and fogs on a time scale of several minutes and possibly 1 min. The method may prove useful for kinetic studies of in-cloud SO2 oxidation and in the study of other phenomena such as atmospheric mixing, cloud drop lifetimes, and aerosol formation that occur on the time scale of a few minutes.