Aerosols in equatorial Atlantic air: n-alkanes as a function of particle size

Abstract

Very little information is available about the marine, terrestrial or anthropogenic origin of the organic carbon associated with atmospheric particles. This origin can be determined by the analysis of lipid markers such as fatty acids1–3, sterols4 or n-alkanes2,3,5,6. We have undertaken studies of n-alkanes2,7 and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (refs 8, 9, and M. J. Tissier, J.-C.M. and A.S. in preparation) in the marine atmosphere of the North and equatorial Atlantic and evaluate here the concentrations and distributions of n-alkanes as a function of particle size. This enables us to comment on the concentrations of particulate n-alkanes in the marine atmosphere, to compare the relationship between n-alkane and organic carbon concentrations as a function of particle size, and to determine the origins of these markers as a function of atmospheric particle size.