Study of Individual Particle Types and Heavy Metal Deposition for North Sea Aerosols using Micro and Trace Analysis Techniques

Abstract

In the period under review (1991-1994), our group has participated in three sampling programs that have been organised in the framework of the EUROTRAC ASE project: the “Mace Head Intercomparison Experiment” (8th-20th April 1991), the “North Sea Experiment” (15th-27th September 1991) and the ASE experiment on the research platform “Nordsee” (lst-22nd September 1992). Also, an extensive aerosol sampling program was accomplished during several research cruises on the North Sea with the R.V. Belgica (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994) and at a fixed station at the Belgian coast (1992-1994). Our research was intended to estimate the amount of atmospheric pollutant fluxes to the North Sea and to identify the nature of the particles responsible for this flux. In such a complex study, the combined use of different analytical techniques namely: energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF), total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF), micro-proton induced X-ray emission (micro-PIXE) and electron probe X-ray micro-analysis (EPXMA) was effectively implemented.