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JAMES HARGROVE, LIMING WANG, AIKO MATSANUGA, SUSAN ZAIDE AND JINGSONG ZHANG, Department of Chemistry and Air Pollution Research Center, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521; KAREN MUYSKENS AND MARK MUYSKENS, Department of Chemistry, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI 49546.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a principle component of photochemical smog that is present in polluted atmospheres at the parts per billion (ppb) level. In this work, cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) is utilized for the detection of ambient NO2. Sub ppb limit of detection is routinely achieved. Experimental approaches to remove the particulates and to improve the detection limit and accuracy are investigated. Ambient measurements of NO2 by CRDS are evaluated, and are compared side by side with the NO2 measurements by chemiluminescence analysis.