Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net 1680-7367 1680-7375 9 1 2009 10.5194/acpd-9-2699-2009 http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/9/2699/2009/ http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/9/2699/2009/acpd-9-2699-2009.html http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/9/2699/2009/acpd-9-2699-2009.pdf 2699 2734 2009-01-28 Biomass burning and urban air pollution over the Central Mexican Plateau J. D. Crounse crounjd@caltech.edu P. F. DeCarlo D. R. Blake L. K. Emmons T. L. Campos E. C. Apel A. D. Clarke A. J. Weinheimer D. C. McCabe R. J. Yokelson J. L. Jimenez P. O. Wennberg Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA Department of Chemistry, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii, USA Department of Chemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA Division of Geology and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA now at: Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland now at: AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA Observations during the 2006 dry season of highly elevated concentrations of cyanides in the atmosphere above Mexico City (MC) and the surrounding plains, demonstrate that biomass burning (BB) significantly impacted air quality in the region. We find that during the period of our measurements, fires contribute more than half of the organic aerosol mass and submicron aerosol scattering, and one third of the enhancement in benzene, reactive nitrogen, and carbon monoxide in the outflow from the plateau. The combination of biomass burning and anthropogenic emissions will affect ozone chemistry in the MC outflow. Anderson,~T., Masonis,~S., Covert,~D., Ahlquist,~N., Howell,~S., Clarke,~A., and McNaughton,~C.: Variability of aerosol optical properties derived from in situ aircraft measurements during ACE-Asia,~J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 108, 8647, doi:10.1029/2002JD003247, 2003. Andreae,~M. and Merlet,~P.: Emission of trace gases and aerosols from biomass burning, Global Biogeochem. Cy., 15, 955–966, 2001. Apel,~E., Hills,~A., Lueb,~R., Zindel,~S., Eisele,~S., and Riemer,~D.: A~fast-GC/MS system to measure C-2 to C-4 carbonyls and methanol aboard aircraft,~J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 108, 8794, doi:10.1029/2002JD003199, 2003. 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