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Published January 2010 | public
Journal Article

Chemical characterisation of marine aerosol at Amsterdam Island during the austral summer of 2006–2007

Abstract

Atmospheric aerosols were collected in separate fine (<2.5 μm) and coarse (>2.5 μm) size fractions in the period December 2006–March 2007 at Amsterdam Island in the southern Indian Ocean. A major objective of the study was to assess biogenic impact on the marine aerosol. The samples were analysed for organic carbon, water-soluble organic carbon, major inorganic ionic species, and organic species, including methanesulphonate (MSA), dicarboxylic acids, and organosulphates. The concentrations of sea salt, non-sea-salt sulphate, and water-soluble and water-insoluble organic matter (WSOM and WIOM) were estimated. Sea salt dominated the composition of the aerosol and accounted for 83% and 91% of the sum of the mass of the four aerosol types in the fine and coarse size fractions, respectively. WSOM, which can serve as a proxy for biogenic secondary organic aerosol (SOA), accounted for only 2.8% of the sum of the mass of the four aerosol types in the fine size fraction. MSA was the dominating organic compound with a median concentration of 47 ng m^(−3). The organosulphates were characterised as sulphate esters of hydroxyl acids and a dihydroxylaldehyde, which may originate from the oxidation of algal/bacterial unsaturated fatty acid residues. No evidence was found for isoprene SOA.

Additional Information

© 2009 Elsevier Ltd. Received 28 February 2009; revised 5 August 2009; accepted 7 August 2009. Available online 14 August 2009. This research was funded by the European Commission (OOMPH project), the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BIOSOL project), the Fund for Scientific Research—Flanders (FWO), and the French Polar Institute (AEROTRACE). The Waters UPLC-LCT Premier XT time-of-flight mass spectrometer used for accurate mass measurements was purchased in 2006 with a grant from the US National Science Foundation.

Additional details

Created:
August 21, 2023
Modified:
October 20, 2023