ELEMENTAL COMPOSITION OF INDIVIDUAL AEROSOL-PARTICLES COLLECTED FROM THE COASTAL MARINE BOUNDARY-LAYER

Marine aerosol particles were sampled over the coastal Pacific and Ind ian Oceans in 1992. By means of X-ray spectrometry, we have analyzed t he composition of the individual particles with radii between similar to 0.1 and similar to 2 mu m. Many sea salts exhibit chlorine deficien cies. The relative weight ratios of Na, S and Cl favor the modificatio n mainly by sulfuric acid. One sample, taken near Borneo, contains sev eral particles that are enriched in potassium and thus are attributabl e to the combustion of vegetation. Contrasting to the other cases, sea -salt particles in this sample appear to have been modified by both ac idic sulfate and yet another species, possibly acidic nitrate as a by- product of biomass burning.