TY - JOUR

T1 - Sugars in Antarctic aerosol

AU - Barbaro, Elena

AU - Kirchgeorg, Torben

AU - Zangrando, Roberta

AU - Vecchiato, Marco

AU - Piazza, Rossano

AU - Barbante, Carlo

AU - Gambaro, Andrea

PY - 2015/10

Y1 - 2015/10

N2 - The processes and transformations occurring in the Antarctic aerosol during atmospheric transport were described using selected sugars as source tracers.Monosaccharides (arabinose, fructose, galactose, glucose, mannose, ribose, xylose), disaccharides (sucrose, lactose, maltose, lactulose), alcohol-sugars (erythritol, mannitol, ribitol, sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, galactitol) and anhydrosugars (levoglucosan, mannosan and galactosan) were measured in the Antarctic aerosol collected during four different sampling campaigns.For quantification, a sensitive high-pressure anion exchange chromatography was coupled with a single quadrupole mass spectrometer. The method was validated, showing good accuracy and low method quantification limits.This study describes the first determination of sugars in the Antarctic aerosol. The total mean concentration of sugars in the aerosol collected at the "Mario Zucchelli" coastal station was 140 pg m-3; as for the aerosol collected over the Antarctic plateau during two consecutive sampling campaigns, the concentration amounted to 440 and 438 pg m-3.The study of particle-size distribution allowed us to identify the natural emission from spores or from sea-spray as the main sources of sugars in the coastal area. The enrichment of sugars in the fine fraction of the aerosol collected on the Antarctic plateau is due to the degradation of particles during long-range atmospheric transport. The composition of sugars in the coarse fraction was also investigated in the aerosol collected during the oceanographic cruise.

AB - The processes and transformations occurring in the Antarctic aerosol during atmospheric transport were described using selected sugars as source tracers.Monosaccharides (arabinose, fructose, galactose, glucose, mannose, ribose, xylose), disaccharides (sucrose, lactose, maltose, lactulose), alcohol-sugars (erythritol, mannitol, ribitol, sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, galactitol) and anhydrosugars (levoglucosan, mannosan and galactosan) were measured in the Antarctic aerosol collected during four different sampling campaigns.For quantification, a sensitive high-pressure anion exchange chromatography was coupled with a single quadrupole mass spectrometer. The method was validated, showing good accuracy and low method quantification limits.This study describes the first determination of sugars in the Antarctic aerosol. The total mean concentration of sugars in the aerosol collected at the "Mario Zucchelli" coastal station was 140 pg m-3; as for the aerosol collected over the Antarctic plateau during two consecutive sampling campaigns, the concentration amounted to 440 and 438 pg m-3.The study of particle-size distribution allowed us to identify the natural emission from spores or from sea-spray as the main sources of sugars in the coastal area. The enrichment of sugars in the fine fraction of the aerosol collected on the Antarctic plateau is due to the degradation of particles during long-range atmospheric transport. The composition of sugars in the coarse fraction was also investigated in the aerosol collected during the oceanographic cruise.

KW - Aerosol

KW - Antarctica

KW - HPAEC-MS

KW - Sugars

KW - WSOC

KW - Chemistry

KW - Sustainability Science

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84939554101&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.07.047

DO - 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.07.047

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:84939554101

VL - 118

SP - 135

EP - 144

JO - Atmospheric Environment

JF - Atmospheric Environment

SN - 1352-2310

ER -