ON THE SCAVENGING OF SO2 BY CLOUD AND RAIN DROPS .4. A WIND-TUNNEL AND THEORETICAL-STUDY OF THE ABSORPTION OF SO2 IN THE PPB(V) RANGE BY WATER DROPS IN THE PRESENCE OF H2O2

An experimental study involving the Mainz vertical tunnel is described where the rate of SO2 removed from the air by freely suspended water drops was measured for SO2 concentrations in the gas phase ranging between 50 and 500 ppb, and for various H2O2 concentrations in the liquid phase. In a first set of experiments, the pH inside the SO2 absorbing drops was monitored by means of colour pH indicators added to the drops. In a second set of experiments, the amount of SO2 scavenged by the drops was determined as sulfate by an ionchromatograph after the drops had been removed from the vertical air stream of the wind tunnel after various times of exposure to SO2. The results of our experimental study were compared with the theoretical gas diffusion model of Walcek and Pruppacher which was reformulated for the case of SO2 concentrations in the ppbv(v) range of which the main resistance to diffusion lies in the gas phase surrounding the drop. Excellent agreement between experiment and theory was obtained. Encouraged by this agreement, the theory was used to investigate the rate of sulfate production inside a drop as a function of pH. The sulfate production rate, which includes transport and oxidation, was compared with the production rate based on bulk equilibrium, as cited in the literature.