Seasonal, diurnal and nocturnal behaviors of lower carbonyl compounds in the urban environment of Beirut, Lebanon

Lower carbonyl concentrations were measured for the first time in two different sampling sites (American University of Beirut (AUB) and Abdel-Aziz (AA)) in Beirut, Lebanon. Formaldehyde (C1) and acetaldehyde (C2) were the most abundant carbonyls with respective maximum concentrations of 12.2 and 5.2 ppbv at AUB and 8.6 and 5.1 ppbv at AA. Diurnal variations of carbonyls exhibited similar behaviors, suggesting related formation and decomposition routes. Morning levels of carbonyls were either equal or higher than the ones in the afternoon at the coastal site (AUB) due to atmospheric dilution. However, morning levels were mostly lower than noon levels at a three-busy street intersection (AA) due to the enhancement of photochemical activities. Vehicle emissions constituted the dominant source of carbonyls measured as confirmed by the good correlation between C1, C2 and propanal (C3) and the C1/C and C2/CO ratios in the mornings. Seasonal variation showed the predominance of summertime photolysis and photo-oxidation reactions of aldehydes. Based on the measured formaldehyde levels, ozone and nitrous acid concentrations, morning and afternoon OH radical fluxes are computed and consequently their contribution to photochemical smog processes are assessed. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.