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Organic carbon in marine atmospheric particulate matter: Concentration and particle size distribution
Author(s) -
Hoffman Eva J.,
Duce Robert A.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/gl004i010p00449
Subject(s) - particulates , sea salt , total organic carbon , organic matter , environmental chemistry , environmental science , particle size distribution , particle (ecology) , particle size , mass concentration (chemistry) , carbon fibers , aerosol , seawater , atmospheric sciences , oceanography , chemistry , geology , materials science , organic chemistry , composite number , composite material
Organic carbon (OC) was determined in atmospheric particulate matter collected at several remote marine locations in the northern and southern hemispheres (Bermuda, Hawaii, Samoa). The OC concentrations were rather similar at all three locations, generally ranging from 0.2 to 0.4 µg/m³ STP. The major mass of the OC at all three locations was found on the smallest particles (radii less than 0.5 µm). However, the major mass of OC on laboratory generated atmospheric sea salt particles was found on particles with radii from 1‐3 µm, the same size as the major mass of the sea salt in both the laboratory experiments and in ambient marine air. This suggests that most of the organic material in marine atmospheric particulate matter is not associated with sea salt. Gas‐particle interactions involving organic compounds could explain the observed size distribution of the OC‐containing particles and the rather constant concentrations of organic carbon found in marine atmospheric particulate matter at the locations studied.