Laboratory evaluation of a novel thermal dissociation chemiluminescence method for in situ detection of nitrous acid

We describe a new laboratory-based method for in situ detection of nitrous acid (HONO) using a combination of thermal dissociation (TD) and chemiluminescent (CL) detection of nitric oxide. A prototype was built using a commercial NO sensor. Laboratory tests for possible chemical interferences show that measurements are affected in predictable ways by NO2, peroxy nitrates, alkyl nitrates, HNO3, O3 and H2O.