A portable, robust, stable and tunable calibration source for gas-phase nitrous acid (HONO)

Abstract. Atmospheric HONO mixing ratios in indoor and outdoor environments span a range of less than a few parts per trillion by volume (pptv) up to tens of parts per billion by volume (ppbv) in combustion plumes. Previous HONO calibration sources have utilized proton transfer acid displacement from nitrite salts or solutions, with output that ranges from tens to thousands of ppbv. Instrument calibrations have thus required large dilution flows to obtain atmospherically relevant mixing ratios. Here we present a simple universal source to reach very low HONO calibration mixing ratios using a nitrite-coated reaction device with the addition of humid air and/or HCl from a permeation device. The calibration source developed in this work can generate HONO across the atmospherically relevant range and has high purity (90–99 %), reproducibility, and tunability. Mixing ratios at the tens of pptv level are easily reached with reasonable dilution flows. The calibration source can be assembled to start producing stable HONO mixing ratios (RSE ≤ 2 %) within two hours, with output concentrations varying ≤ 25 % following simulated transport or complete disassembly of the instrument, and ≤ 10 % under ideal conditions. The simplicity of this source makes it highly versatile for field and lab experiments. The platform facilitates a new level of accuracy in established instrumentation, as well as intercomparison studies to identify systematic HONO measurement bias and interferences.