The atmospheric aerosol is an important pathway by which chemical compounds are transported both locally and on a global scale. It is extremely important to know the origin, geochemical composition and effects that the aerosol composition could have on a very sensitive environment such as the Arctic. Due to their distance from the principal emission sources, polar regions represent an important natural laboratory to study the atmospheric aerosol. Ten aerosol sampling campaigns were performed at Gruvebadet observatory close to Ny-Alesund in the Svalbard Islands (78°55'07''N, 11°53'30''E) from spring 2010 to spring 2019. Aerosol samples were collected with a high-volume cascade impactor. This sampler allows the collection of airborne particles in five size classes with aerodynamic diameter ranges of 10-7.2 ?m, 7.2-3.0 ?m, 3.0-1.5 ?m, 1.5-0.95 ?m, 0.95-0.49 ?m and <0.49 ?m. The aerosol samples were analyzed to determine trace elements, rare earth elements and water-soluble-organic compounds (WSOC), such as ionic species, carboxylic acids, sugars (monosaccharides, disaccharides, alcohol sugars and anhydrosugars), free and combined amino acids and phenolic compounds. The main aims are to better understand: (1) the distribution of each species among different particulate sizes, (2) the transport processes of aerosol towards the Arctic zone and 3) the inter-annual patterns of each species, using these compounds as specific markers for sources or processes. Free amino acids are determined for the first time in Arctic aerosol collected from 19 April to 14 September 2010 (Scalabrin et al., 2012). The ultrafine aerosol fraction (<0.49 ?m) accounted for the majority of the total amino acid content in most samples. Cluster analysis and factor analysis for the ultrafine aerosol samples suggest the contribution of two sources of amino acids in Arctic aerosols: (1) regional and long-range transport from marine areas and (2) the influence of local sources such as marine primary production. Biomass burning markers were investigated in the aerosol samples collected during the 2010 campaign. Levoglucosan concentrations, an unambiguous cellulose combustion tracer, derived from 2010 Russian fires. Phenolic compounds levels in the Ny-Ålesund atmosphere in different size fractions reflected both long-range transport linked to biomass burning and a terrigenous local source (Zangrando et al., 2013). Turetta et al. (2016) reported the results about the analysis of 39 elements and rare earth elements, and enrichment factors were used to distinguish between natural and anthropogenic sources. The chemometric method was used to discriminate the sources of trace elements, rare earth elements and water soluble organic compounds in the aerosol samples with the aim to recognize anthropogenic input and inputs deriving from extreme and/or natural peculiar events (Turetta et al., 2016). The first investigation of free and combined L- and D-amino acids in Arctic atmospheric particulate matter was performed using the aerosol samples collected from 4th April to 13th June 2015. Free and combined amino acids were mainly found in the fine aerosol fraction (<0.49 mm) and their concentrations could be affect by several sources, the most important of which were biological primary production and biomass burning (Feltracco et al., 2019). Finally, monosaccharides (arabinose, fructose, galactose, glucose, mannose, ribose, xylose), disaccharides (sucrose, lactose,maltose, lactulose), alcohol-sugars (erythritol, mannitol, ribitol, sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, galactitol) and anhydrosugars (levoglucosan, mannosan and galactosan) were measured in the Arctic aerosol collected during 2013, 2014 and 2015 sampling campaigns. This study presents the first results of sugar composition and concentration in the Arctic aerosol.
Chemical composition of Arctic aerosol: Water soluble organic compounds, trace and rare earth elements
E Barbaro;A Spolaor;C Turetta;R Zangrando;C Barbante;
2019
Abstract
The atmospheric aerosol is an important pathway by which chemical compounds are transported both locally and on a global scale. It is extremely important to know the origin, geochemical composition and effects that the aerosol composition could have on a very sensitive environment such as the Arctic. Due to their distance from the principal emission sources, polar regions represent an important natural laboratory to study the atmospheric aerosol. Ten aerosol sampling campaigns were performed at Gruvebadet observatory close to Ny-Alesund in the Svalbard Islands (78°55'07''N, 11°53'30''E) from spring 2010 to spring 2019. Aerosol samples were collected with a high-volume cascade impactor. This sampler allows the collection of airborne particles in five size classes with aerodynamic diameter ranges of 10-7.2 ?m, 7.2-3.0 ?m, 3.0-1.5 ?m, 1.5-0.95 ?m, 0.95-0.49 ?m and <0.49 ?m. The aerosol samples were analyzed to determine trace elements, rare earth elements and water-soluble-organic compounds (WSOC), such as ionic species, carboxylic acids, sugars (monosaccharides, disaccharides, alcohol sugars and anhydrosugars), free and combined amino acids and phenolic compounds. The main aims are to better understand: (1) the distribution of each species among different particulate sizes, (2) the transport processes of aerosol towards the Arctic zone and 3) the inter-annual patterns of each species, using these compounds as specific markers for sources or processes. Free amino acids are determined for the first time in Arctic aerosol collected from 19 April to 14 September 2010 (Scalabrin et al., 2012). The ultrafine aerosol fraction (<0.49 ?m) accounted for the majority of the total amino acid content in most samples. Cluster analysis and factor analysis for the ultrafine aerosol samples suggest the contribution of two sources of amino acids in Arctic aerosols: (1) regional and long-range transport from marine areas and (2) the influence of local sources such as marine primary production. Biomass burning markers were investigated in the aerosol samples collected during the 2010 campaign. Levoglucosan concentrations, an unambiguous cellulose combustion tracer, derived from 2010 Russian fires. Phenolic compounds levels in the Ny-Ålesund atmosphere in different size fractions reflected both long-range transport linked to biomass burning and a terrigenous local source (Zangrando et al., 2013). Turetta et al. (2016) reported the results about the analysis of 39 elements and rare earth elements, and enrichment factors were used to distinguish between natural and anthropogenic sources. The chemometric method was used to discriminate the sources of trace elements, rare earth elements and water soluble organic compounds in the aerosol samples with the aim to recognize anthropogenic input and inputs deriving from extreme and/or natural peculiar events (Turetta et al., 2016). The first investigation of free and combined L- and D-amino acids in Arctic atmospheric particulate matter was performed using the aerosol samples collected from 4th April to 13th June 2015. Free and combined amino acids were mainly found in the fine aerosol fraction (<0.49 mm) and their concentrations could be affect by several sources, the most important of which were biological primary production and biomass burning (Feltracco et al., 2019). Finally, monosaccharides (arabinose, fructose, galactose, glucose, mannose, ribose, xylose), disaccharides (sucrose, lactose,maltose, lactulose), alcohol-sugars (erythritol, mannitol, ribitol, sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, galactitol) and anhydrosugars (levoglucosan, mannosan and galactosan) were measured in the Arctic aerosol collected during 2013, 2014 and 2015 sampling campaigns. This study presents the first results of sugar composition and concentration in the Arctic aerosol.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
