Nitrous acid is an important precursor for OH radicals in the polluted troposphere. The heterogeneous conversion of NO 2 to HONO, however, is currently not well understood. Measurements of HONO and NO 2 in Phoenix in summer 2001 using long path DOAS show ratios of chemically formed secondary [HONO] to [NO 2 ] that rarely exceeded 3%. During two nocturnal dust storm events, however, a significant increase of this ratio was observed. The unprecedented high ratios near 19% suggest a highly efficient NO 2 to HONO conversion process on mineral dust particles. The particle composition in Phoenix is similar to other mineral dusts, implying that the enhanced NO 2 conversion could be an important HONO, and therefore also OH, source in regions where pollution and dust storms coincide.
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Wang et al. (2003) studied this question.
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