Heavy metals, aluminum, and arsenic in aerosols of the world ocean

Abstract

We have investigated concentration levels of heavy metals, aluminum, and arsenic in the near-water layer of the atmosphere. Heavy metal concentrations in the sea aerosols of the seas of the western part of the Arctic are within the range from 0.01 to 1000 ng/m3. The data collected in highland regions of the Arctic Ocean are considered as background values: the least levels of concentrations typical of Cd and Pb (∼0.01 ng/m3), the highest ones—of Al, Fe, and Zn (∼100 ng/m3). In the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean the concentration range of the elements being investigated constitutes 0.1 to 1000 ng/m3. Recurrence of the content of the elements in these regions is determined by natural processes of the matter carry-over and points to the ingress of heavy metals to the aerosol due to its generation by the sea surface. The composition of the aerosol of coastal areas of the Black, Caspian, and Baltic Seas is more varied: the concentration of the elements constitutes 1 to 106 ng/m3. In certain hydrometeorological conditions the concentration of Ni, Fe, and Cr as part of the particles of the aerodisperse phase generated by the sea surface, exceeds the MAC of the air of the working areas of industrial enterprises. The sea aerosol may be a secondary supplier of toxicants to the coastal areas of the seas.