Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net 1680-7367 1680-7375 10 6 2010 10.5194/acpd-10-13969-2010 http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/10/13969/2010/ http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/10/13969/2010/acpd-10-13969-2010.html http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/10/13969/2010/acpd-10-13969-2010.pdf 13969 14011 2010-06-07 Analysis of the chemical composition of organic aerosol at the Mt. Sonnblick observatory using a novel high mass resolution thermal-desorption proton-transfer-reaction mass-spectrometer (hr-TD-PTR-MS) R. Holzinger r.holzinger@uu.nl A. Kasper-Giebl M. Staudinger G. Schauer T. Röckmann Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht, Princetonplein 5, 3584 CC, Utrecht, The Netherlands Vienna Univ. Technol, Inst Chem Technol, Vienna, Austria Reg Stelle Salzburg, Zent Anstalt Meteorol & Geodynam, 5020 Salzburg, Austria For the first time a high mass resolution thermal desorption proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer (hr-TD-PTR-MS) was deployed in the field to analyze the composition of the organic fraction of aerosols. We report on measurements from the remote Mt. Sonnblick observatory in the Austrian alps (3108 m a.s.l.) during a 7 week period in summer 2009. A total of 638 mass peaks in the range 18–392 Da were detected and quantified in aerosols. An empirical formula was tentatively attributed to 464 of these compounds by custom-made data analysis routines which consider compounds containing C, H, O, N, and S atoms. Most of the other (unidentified) compounds must contain other elements – most likely halogenated compounds. The mean total concentration of all detected compounds was 1.1 μg m^−3. 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