Underrated primary biogenic origin and lifetime of atmospheric formic and acetic acid.

Formic and acetic acids are ubiquitous in the troposphere, playing an important role in the atmospheric chemistry. Recent model studies ended up with substantial low bias on their tropospheric budgets presumably due to a large missing biogenic source derived most likely from photochemical oxidation of long-lived volatile organic compound(s), i.e.

Variation of Soil Organic Carbon and Its Major Constraints in East Central Asia.

Variation of soil organic carbon (SOC) and its major constraints in large spatial scale are critical for estimating global SOC inventory and projecting its future at environmental changes. By analyzing SOC and its environment at 210 sites in uncultivated land along a 3020km latitudinal transect in East Central Asia, we examined the effect of environmental factors on the dynamics of SOC. We found that SOC changes dramatically with the difference as high as 5 times in north China and 17 times in Mongolia.

Analysis of the stable carbon isotope composition of formic and acetic acids.

Formic and acetic acids are ubiquitous in the environment and in many biological processes. Analysis of the stable carbon isotope composition (δ(13)C) of formic and acetic acids is important to understanding their biogeochemical cycles. However, it has been faced with poor accuracy and high detection limits due to their low carbon number, high hydrophilicity, and semi-volatility.

Needle trap extraction for GC analysis of formic and acetic acids in aqueous solution.

Formic and acetic acids are ubiquitous in the environment, food, and most of the natural products. Extraction of the acids from aqueous solution is required for their isotope analysis by the gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry. To this objective, we have previously developed a purge-and-trap technique using the dynamic solid-phase microextraction technology, the NeedlEX.

[Low molecular weight carboxylic acids in precipitation during the rainy season in the rural area of Anshun, West Guizhou Province].

40 rainwater samples were collected at Anshun from June 2007 to October 2007 and analysed in terms of pH values, electrical conductivity, major inorganic anions and soluble low molecular weight carboxylic acids. The results showed that pH of individual precipitation events ranged from 3.57-7.