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First- and higher-generation products from the oxidation of isoprene and methacrolein with OH radicals in the presence of NOx have been studied in a simulation chamber: (1) significant oxidation rates have been maintained for up to 7 h allowing the study of highly oxidized products, (2) gas-phase products distribution and yields are provided, and show good agreement with previous studies. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation resulting from these experiments has also been investigated. Among the general dispersion exhibited by SOA mass yields from previous studies, the mass yields obtained here were consistent with the lowest values found in the literature, and more specifically in agreement with studies carried out with natural light or artificial lamps with emission spectrum similar to the solar one. An effect of light source is hence proposed to explain, at least in part, the discrepancies observed between different studies in the literature for both isoprene- and methacrolein-SOA mass yields. A high degree of similarity is shown in the comparison of SOA mass spectra from isoprene and methacrolein photooxidation, thus strengthening the importance of the role of methacrolein in SOA formation from isoprene photooxidation under our experimental conditions (i.e. presence of NOx and long term oxidation). Overall, if these results are further confirmed, SOA mass yields from both isoprene and methacrolein in the atmosphere could be lower than suggested by most of the current chamber studies.
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Brégonzio-Rozier et al. (2014) studied this question.