Water soluble organic carbon in aerosols (PM1, PM2.5, PM10) and various precipitation forms (rain, snow, mixed) over the southern Baltic Sea station

Abstract

In the urbanized coastal zone of the Southern Baltic, complex measurements of water soluble organic carbon (WSOC) were conducted between 2012 and 2015, involving atmospheric precipitation in its various forms (rain, snow, mixed) and PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 aerosols. WSOC constituted about 60% of the organic carbon mass in aerosols of various sizes. The average concentration of WSOC was equal to 2.6μg∙m−3 in PM1, 3.6μg∙m−3 in PM2.5 and 4.4μg∙m−3 in PM10. The lowest concentration of WSOC was noted in summer as a result of effective removal of this compound with rainfall. The highest WSOC concentrations in PM2.5 and PM10 aerosols were measured in spring, which should be associated with developing vegetation on land and in the sea. On the other hand, the highest WSOC concentrations in PM1 occurred in winter at low air temperatures and greatest atmospheric stability, when there were increased carbon emissions from fuel combustion in the communal-utility sector and from transportation. WSOC concentrations in precipitation were determined by its form. Mixed precipitation turned out to be the richest in soluble organic carbon (5.1mg·dm−3), while snow contained the least WSOC (1.7mg·dm−3). Snow and rain cleaned carbon compounds from the atmosphere more effectively when precipitation lasted longer than 24h, while in the case of mixed precipitation WSOC was removed most effectively within the first 24h.