In this work we prove that mixing of droplets with different p H that are individually in Henry's law equilibrium with the surrounding atmosphere always results in a bulk mixture that is supersaturated with weak acids like S(IV) and HCOOH and bases like NH 3 with respect to the original atmosphere. The degree of supersaturation of the bulk liquid water sample for a particular species depends on its dissociation constant, on the initial p H of the bulk droplet mixture, and on the distribution of the p H and of the liquid water over the droplet spectrum. High supersaturations result only when the p H of the bulk droplet mixture exceeds the p K a of the species, in which p H range large p H differences among droplets of different sizes lead to large deviations from Henry's law for the bulk mixture. The deviation is shown to depend on the ratio of the arithmetic mean to the harmonic mean of the hydrogen ion concentrations of the droplets with the liquid water content used as weighting factor in the calculation of the means. The theory developed can explain observed discrepancies from Henry's law in atmospheric samples and also other observed phenomena like the reported increase of p H values of bulk aqueous samples during storage.
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Pandis et al. (1991) studied this question.
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