Henryʹs law constant measurements for phenol, o-, m-, and p-cresol as a function of temperature

In this work, a dynamic system based on the water/air equilibrium at the interface within the length of a microporous tube was used to experimentally determine the Henryʹs law constants (HLC) of phenol and cresols. The measurements were conducted over the range 278–298 K in both deionized water and solution of NaCl. At 293 K and in pure water, HLC were found to be equal to (in units of ): phenol, HLC=(1005±270); o-cresol, HLC=(690±95); m-cresol, HLC=(1324±172); p-cresol, HLC=(1742±360). The obtained data were used to derive the following Arrhenius expressions: , , and for phenol, o-cresol, m-cresol and p-cresol, respectively. All of the values for HLC in salt solution were 10–30% lower than their respective values in deionized water, depending on the compound and the temperature. These data were then used to estimate the fractions of phenol or of cresols in atmospheric aqueous phase. In order to evaluate the impact of a cloud on the atmospheric chemistry of phenol and cresols, we compare also their atmospheric lifetimes under clear sky (τgas), and cloudy conditions (τmultiphase). The calculated multiphase lifetimes (in units of days) are significantly lower than those in gas phase at a cumulus temperature of 283 K (in parentheses): phenol, 0.26 (0.45); o-cresol, 0.17 (0.24); m-cresol, 0.13 (0.22); p-cresol, 0.11 (0.23).