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

• Published in: Journal of Aerosol Science
• Main Authors: Claeys, Magda, Wang, Wan, Vermeylen, Reinhilde, Kourtchev, Ivan, Chi, Xuguang, Farhat, Yasmeen, Surratt, Jason, Gómez-González, Yadian, Sciare, Jean, Maenhaut, Willy
• Other Authors: Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Catholic University of Leuven = Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven), Nuclear Material Physics - NUMAT (Ghent, Belgium), Universiteit Gent = Ghent University (UGENT), Laboratoire de Radiochimie et des Sciences Analytiques et Environnement (LRSAE), Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) (UNS), California Institute of Technology (CALTECH), Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement Gif-sur-Yvette (LSCE), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Direction de Recherche Fondamentale (CEA) (DRF (CEA)), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), Chimie Atmosphérique Expérimentale (CAE), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Direction de Recherche Fondamentale (CEA) (DRF (CEA)), European Project: 29483,OOMPH
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2010
• Subjects: [SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean; Atmosphere; [SDU.ENVI]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces; environment; Amsterdam Island
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-03200010; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaerosci.2009.08.003

International audience Atmospheric aerosols were collected in separate fine (<2.5$\mu$m) and coarse (>2.5$\mu$m) sizefractions in the period December 2006–March 2007 at Amsterdam Island in the southern In-dian 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 inorganicionic species, and organic species, including methanesulphonate (MSA), dicarboxylic acids,and organosulphates. The concentrations of sea salt, non-sea-salt sulphate, and water-solubleand 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 ofthe four aerosol types in the fine and coarse size fractions, respectively. WSOM, which canserve as a proxy for biogenic secondary organic aerosol (SOA), accounted for only 2.8% of thesum of the mass of the four aerosol types in the fine size fraction. MSA was the dominatingorganic compound with a median concentration of 47ngm−3. The organosulphates were char-acterised as sulphate esters of hydroxyl acids and a dihydroxylaldehyde, which may originatefrom the oxidation of algal/bacterial unsaturated fatty acid residues. No evidence was found forisoprene SOA