Abstract
Concentrations of dissolved and particle-associated n-alkanes, phthalates and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in sea surface microlayer (SML) and sub-surface water (SSL) samples collected in the coastal area of Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica, during the Austral spring 1998/1999. SML concentrations of the selected organic compounds were higher than SSL values and the enrichment factors were greater in the particulate phase than in the dissolved phase. During the same campaign, "fresh" snow samples, collected at different altitudes (from sea level up to 2670 m) near the coast on Mt Melbourne, immediately after a snowy event, were analysed in order to provide more information on air/sea exchange processes. The same classes of organic compounds found in sea water were also present in "fresh" snow samples. The surfactant fluorescent organic matter (SFOM), adsorbed on the microdrop aerosol surface, could be considered the main constituent of the enrichment and the carrier at higher altitudes of organic compounds. In fact, hydrocarbons (n-alkanes and PAHs), which are not surfactants like phthalates, could interact with SFOM and follow the same fate.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
