Does sulphur dioxide react with atmospheric particulate at cloud water-air boundary

The atmospheric sulfur cycle is responsible for new particle formation and cloud condensation nuclei in the lower atmosphere. The proposal seeks to investigate if the unknown source of organo-sulfate compounds found in atmospheric aerosol is due to the reaction between gas-phase SO2 and natural surfactants found in cloud water and atmospheric aerosol at the air-water interface. The experiment will elucidate or exclude the surface reaction as a source of organic sulfate compounds in the atmosphere by measurement of kinetics and comparison to atmospheric removal processes. Real samples of atmospheric surfactants extracted from the atmosphere will be under study. The work supports a NERC grant between ISIS/RHUL and a new joint funded ISIS/RHUL PhD studentship.