A new detector is under investigation for the measurement of atmospheric sulfur compounds based on formation of sulfur monoxide with subsequent detection by ozone-induced chemiluminescence. This novel detection scheme for the measurement of gaseous sulfur compounds should offer many advantages over existing techniques, including high sensitivity (better than one part-per-billion by volume), rapid response time ( ~ 1 sec), and high selectivity for sulfur compounds versus other atmospheric constituents. The detector can be operated as a total gas-phase sulfur detector, as a detector for total reduced sulfur compounds using an SO2 scrubber, or as a detector for quantification of individual sulfur species when coupled with a gas chromatograph. The rapid response times of the detector, when operated in the total atmospheric sulfur or total reduced sulfur mode, should prove valuable in the study of long-range dispersion of sulfur gases, short-range dispersion over complex terrain, and in the measurement of sulfur fluxes by the eddy correlation technique.Anticipated Results/Potential Commercial Applications as described by the awardee: The research should lead to the development of a sensitive, ultra-fast monitor for the measurement of sulfur gases in ambient air. In addition to the use of this detector for the basic studies of acid rain and atmospheric transport of sulfur compounds, this detector will have applications in the measurement of total sulfur in crude oils, natural gas, petrochemical feed stocks, and a variety of chemical, pharmaceutical, and environmental samples. This new sulfur-selective detector, when used in combination with gas, liquid, and supercritical fluid chromatography, should offer many advantages over existing sulfur-selective detectors.Topic 5: Environmental Biotechnology and Analyses
