THE CIX

Toronto Halogens, Emissions, Contaminants, and Inorganics eXperiment

context

THE CIX was a ground site measurement campaign associated with the NOAA-led AEROMMA aircraft campaign. Measurements were made in July and August of 2023 on York University campus (main site) and on University of Toronto campus (THE CIX South site). Click here to see photos from the campaign.

Toronto has a metropolitan population exceeding seven million and regional population approaching ten million. Although precursors to ground-level ozone have been reduced in Toronto over the past several years, exceedances of the 8-hour ozone Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standard remain common. THE CIX main site was located in an urban/suburban transition zone that is not impacted by any large local sources (>500 m from any major roads). The main site is 20 km north of downtown Toronto and Lake Ontario, ~2-3 hours transport time from major sources in downtown Toronto.

Science Objectives

Measurements during THE CIX targeted several areas of uncertainty in urban air quality, grouped into four themes. Examples include: 1) improved understanding of reactive chlorine chemistry in a summertime continental environment (Halogens); 2) improved understanding of emissions of organics and greenhouse gases (Emissions); 3) understanding of sources and sinks of haloacetic and perfluorocarboxylic acids (Contaminants); and 4) a comprehensive nitrogen budget with a suite of instruments will be targeted along with source apportionment (Inorganics). Several unique instruments and measurements were deployed at THE CIX, including gas-phase measurements of HCl (TILDAS), measurement of total gaseous chlorine, an ambient ion monitor-ion chromatograph-mass spectrometer (AIM-IC-MS), measurement of total nitrogen, and a real-time measurement of perfluorocarboxylic acids using acetate chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS).

participants and measurements

Measurements made during THE CIX campaign.

Several research groups came together to make measurements during THE CIX (see table of measurements to the right). Groups led by the following individuals participated:

  • Jon Abbatt, University of Toronto

  • Nadine Borduas-Dedekind, University of British Columbia

  • Pete Edwards, University of York

  • Mark Gordon, York University

  • Kathy Hayden, Environment and Climate Change Canada

  • Alex Lee, Environment and Climate Change Canada

  • Ali Lewis, University of York

  • John Liggio, Environment and Climate Change Canada

  • Rob McLaren, York University

  • Jen Murphy, University of Toronto

  • Sumi Wren, Environment and Climate Change Canada

  • Trevor VandenBoer, York University (Project Leader - Logistics)

  • Cora Young, York University (Project Leader - Science)