Low-molecular-weight hydroxyacids in marine atmospheric aerosol: evidence of a marine microbial origin

• Miyazaki, Y.

• Sawano, M.

• Kawamura, K.

Abstract

Lactic acid (LA) and glycolic acid (GA), which are low-molecular-weight hydroxyacids, were identified in the particle and gas phases within the marine atmospheric boundary layer over the western subarctic North Pacific. A major portion of LA (81%) and GA (57%) was present in the particulate phase, which is consistent with the presence of a hydroxyl group in these molecules leading to the low volatility of the compounds. The average concentration (±SD) of LA in more biologically influenced marine aerosols (33 ± 58 ng m−3) was substantially higher than that in less biologically influenced aerosols (11 ± 12 ng m−3). Over the oceanic region of phytoplankton blooms, the concentration of aerosol LA was comparable to that of oxalic acid, which was the most abundant diacid during the study period. A positive correlation was found between the LA concentrations in more biologically influenced aerosols and chlorophyll a in seawater (r2 = 0.56), suggesting an important production of aerosol LA possibly associated with microbial (e.g., lactobacillus) activity in seawater and/or aerosols. Our finding provides a new insight into the poorly quantified microbial sources of marine organic aerosols (OAs) because such low-molecular-weight hydroxyacids are key intermediates for OA formation.

Journal

• Biogeosciences

  Biogeosciences 11 (16), 4407-4414, 2014-08-20

  Copernicus Publications

Keywords

• Earth-Surface Processes
• Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

Details

• CRID: 1050845763947025024
• NII Article ID: 120005465521
• DOI: 10.5194/bg-11-4407-2014
• ISSN: 17264189
• HANDLE: 2115/56848
• Web Site: https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/11/4407/2014/bg-11-4407-2014.pdf
• Text Lang: en
• Article Type: journal article
• Data Source:
  • IRDB
  • Crossref
  • CiNii Articles
  • KAKEN