The chemical characteristics of aerosols in the Kuroshio area——Ⅰ. Sources and fluxes

The marine aerosols were collected in the atmosphere over the Kuroshio area for 2 a from 1987 to 1988. The ions of chlorine, magnesium. potassium, calcium, fluorine, sulfate, nitrate, water soluble and organic phosphorus, water and acid soluble manganese, iron. lead, copper, vanadium and cadmium were determined. The results show that the sources of species in the marine aerosol may be traced to sea water. land mineral dusts and continental air pollutants. The concentrations of continental source matter in the marine aerosol also have an obvious seasonal variation with greatest contents in the winter. The major components of the continental source aerosols are sulfate and nitrate, and mineral matters are secondary. The sequence of water solubility of the heavy metal is Cd > Mn > Pb > Cu > Fe > V. The air to sea fluxes of the matter in the marine aerosols are also discussed. A significant content of sulfate and nitrate, and a considerable content of mineral matter are deposited to the sea water from the air.