Field Experimental Investigations on the Fe(II)- and Fe(III)-Content in Cloudwater Samples

The Fe(II)/Fe(III)-partition in cloudwater samples collected during two field campaigns is evaluated. It turned out that the simultaneous occurrence of complexing and reducing substances in the atmosphere and the cloud processing increase the solubility of iron compounds present in aerosol particles. A correlation between the concentration of iron(II) in the liquid phase and the intensity of the solar irradiation was observed for most of the cloudwater samples. This could be due to the fact that both the photochemical reduction of the iron(III) complexes and the photochemical reductive dissolution of iron(III)(hydr)oxides are depending on the pH-value. Iron(II) seems to be oxidised back to iron(III) preferably by hydrogen peroxide during the night. Positive correlations were received e.g. between the concentration of dissolved iron and the concentration of oxalate and between the percentage of iron(III) and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide. A negative correlation was found e.g. between the concentration of dissolved iron and the pH-value. The uncertainty of the whole process of sampling and analysis was investigated and the conformity of the results was satisfying considering the sometimes difficult conditions during a field campaign.