Fine marine aerosols influence the climate system by acting as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) in the atmosphere. The organic chemical composition and origin of the marine fine particulate matter are still largely unknown. In this study, we characterized and quantified the water-soluble organic components of marine aerosols collected at a background-sampling site of Eastern Mediterranean. The analysis of the water-soluble organic extracts by the concurrent use of GC/MS, LC/MS, and NMR revealed the presence of 130 individual organic compounds, which made the 17% of dissolved organic carbon. We quantified amino acids (free and combined); n-alkanoic acids; saturated, unsaturated and branched dicarboxylic acids; hydroxy-, oxo- and keto- carboxylic and dicarboxylic acids; aromatic and polycarboxylic acids; and pinic and pinonic acids and their sulphate esters. Our results have shown that biomass burning in southern Europe was the major source of the above-mentioned water-soluble oxygenated organic compounds in the marine atmosphere.

Concurrent determination of water-soluble organic compounds in atmospheric marine aerosols by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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