Jerome F. Thomas

Fate of Arenes Incorporated with Airborne Soot: Effect of Irradiation

The airborne carcinogens as contained on soot disappear slowly in the dark, probably due to the presence of oxidizing material coproduced and carried with the carcinogens on the soot particles. A much more rapid disappearance occurs during exposure to light, the rate being proportional to the intensity of the light. The amount disappearing under the influence of light is directly related to the surface area of the particle. The sequential degradation from carcinogen through intermediates to final stable compounds is discussed.

Evaluation of ozone-alkylpyridine reaction kinetics using spectroscopic measurements

Abstract Rate constants for bimolecular reactions between ozone and a group of alkylpyridines were estimated by application of a pseudo-first-order technique involving time-course monitoring of reactor contents. The method used was a modification of an existing protocol for evaluation of gas-phase reaction kinetics. Reaction progress was followed spectroscopically. The method was found to be inadequate for accurate determination of kinetic parameters due to absorptive interferences; however, it was sufficient for defining lower limits of reaction rate constants. Tropospheric reactions of alkylpyridines with ozone were found to be extremely slow, with atmospheric lifetimes of the order of years.