Seasonal variation of PM10-bound PAHs in the atmosphere of Xiamen, China

PM₁₀ samples from a garden site (site A), an industrial-traffic intersection (site B), a residential site (site C) and an island site (site D) were collected at December 21–29, 2004; March 18–22, 2005; July 4–13, 2005 and October 24–28, 2005 in Xiamen. 15 priority PAHs compounds were analyzed by using a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS). The abundance and origin of PAHs are discussed to reveal seasonal variations in Xiamen air quality. Average concentrations of Σ15PAHs were 17.5 ng/m³, 3.7 ng/m³, 32.6 ng/m³ and 10.5 ng/m³ from spring to winter with the highest value in autumn. The dominant PAHs components in every season were low and middle molecular weight PAHs including phenanthrene, pyrene, fluoranthene and chrysene. Diagnostic ratios and PCA analysis identified the main sources of particle bound PAHs: mainly from both gasoline and diesel vehicles exhaust, with some contribution from coal combustion, industry emission and cooking sources.     

Black carbon relationships with emissions and meteorology in Xi'an, China

Aerosol black carbon (BC) was measured every 5 min at Xi'an, China from September 2003 to August 2005. Daily BC concentrations ranged from 2 to 65 μg m^− 3, averaging 14.7 ± 9.5 μg m^− 3 and displayed clear summer minima and winter maxima. BC typically peaked between 0800 and 1000 LST and again between 2000 and 2200 LST, corresponding with morning and evening traffic combined with nighttime residential cooking and heating. The nocturnal peak was especially evident in winter, when more domestic heating is used and pollutant-trapping surface-inversions form earlier than in summer. BC frequency distributions the most commonly occurring concentrations occurred between 5 and 10 μg m^− 3 in all four seasons. BC ranged from 1.6% and 15.6%, and averaged 8.3% of PM_2.5. A clear inverse relationship between BC and wind speed (WS) was found when WS was below 2.5 to 3.0 m s^− 1, implying a local origin for BC. Mixed layer depths (MLDs) were shallower during BC episodes compared to cleaner conditions.     

Elemental and organic carbon in atmospheric aerosols at downtown and suburban sites in Prague

Organic and elemental carbon (OC and EC) content in PM₁₀ was studied at two sites in Prague, which were located in a suburb and in the downtown. Similar overall average levels were found for both species and also for the PM₁₀ mass at the two sites (i.e., 5.5 and 4.8 μg/m³ for OC, 0.74 and 0.80 μg/m³ for EC, and 33 μg/m³ and 37 μg/m³ for the PM₁₀ mass at the suburb and downtown site, respectively), but substantial differences were observed between the two sites in some seasons and/or meteorological situations. Approximately three times higher values were found for OC in winter compared to summer, with a higher winter/summer ratio for the suburban site. The differences for EC were smaller, but still, compared to summer, more than two times higher EC levels were observed during autumn at the suburban site and 1.5 higher EC levels in winter and autumn at the downtown site. The lowest OC to EC ratios at the suburban site were 3.4, while they were around 1.3 for the downtown site. It was found that the origin of the air masses had a major impact on the observed PM₁₀ mass and OC levels, with largest concentrations noted for air masses recirculating over central Europe and arriving from southeastern Europe in winter. Trajectories coming from the west and northwest originating above the Atlantic Ocean and the Artic brought the cleanest air masses to the sites. For EC the largest difference between the two sites was observed for northwesterly winds during the non-heating season when the suburban site was upwind of Prague.     

Impact of Saharan dust on PM10 concentration in the Mediterranean Tunisian coasts

This paper presents samples of Saharan dust outbreak affecting the Mediterranean Tunisian coasts and its impact on PM10 (Particles with an aerodynamic diameter below 10 µm) surface concentrations measured at seven monitoring stations during summer 2006. During the events, the daily PM10 levels at all stations exceeded EU and Tunisian air quality standard limits which are equal to 50 µg/m³. The maximum values ranged from 200 µg/m³ to 300 µg/m³ depending on the monitoring station. The impact is even more dramatic on PM10 hourly concentrations leading to maximum hourly peaks ranging from 400 µg/m³ to 850 µg/m³ again depending on the monitoring station (industrial or residential, traffic and commercial). Comparison between backward air masses trajectories reaching Tunisian coasts and satellite imageries vis-à-vis the PM10 hourly concentrations measured at the monitoring stations during 2006 evidenced the influence of the Saharan dust outbreaks on surface concentrations. The origin of the air masses is found to be from South-West direction under the influence of air masses from the Algerian Saharan desert.     

Impacts of Future NOx and CO Emissions on Regional Chemistry and Climate over Eastern China

A coupled chemical/dynamical model (SOCOL-SOlar Climate Ozone Links) is applied to study the impacts of future enhanced CO and NOx emissions over eastern China on regional chemistry and climate. The result shows that the increase of CO and NOx emissions has significant effects on regional chemistry, including NOx, CO, O₃, and OH concentrations. During winter, the CO concentration is uniformly increased in the northern hemisphere by about 10 ppbv. During summer, the increase of CO has a regional distribution. The change in O₃, concentrations near eastern China has both strong seasonal and spatial variations. During winter, the surface O₃, concentrations decrease by about 2 ppbv, while during summer they increase by about 2 ppbv in eastern China. The changes of CO, NOx, and O₃, induce important impacts on OH concentrations. The changes in chemistry, especially O₃, induce important effects on regional climate. The analysis suggests that during winter, the surface temperature decreases and air pressure increases in central-eastern China. The changes of temperature and pressure produce decreases in vertical velocity. We should mention that the model resolution is coarse, and the calculated concentrations are generally underestimated when they are compared to measured results. However, because this model is a coupled dynamical/chemical model, it can provide some useful insights regarding the climate impacts due to changes in air pollutant emissions.     

Characteristics of biomass burning aerosol and its impact on regional air quality in the summer of 2003 at Gwangju, Korea

The main objective of this study is to investigate the chemical characteristics of biomass burning aerosol and its impact on regional air quality during an agricultural waste burning period in early summer in the rural areas of Korea. A 12-h integrated intensive sampling of biomass burning aerosol in the fine and coarse modes was conducted on 2–20 June 2003 in Gwangju, Korea. The collected samples were analyzed for concentrations of mass, ionic, elemental, and carbonaceous species. Average concentrations of fine and coarse mass were measured to be 67.9 and 18.7 μg m^− 3 during the biomass burning period, 41.9 and 18.8 μg m^− 3 during the haze period, and 35.6 and 13.3 μg m^− 3 during the normal period, respectively. An exceptionally high PM_2.5 concentration of 110.3 μg m^− 3 with a PM_2.5/PM₁₀ ratio of 0.79 was observed on 6 June 2003 during the biomass burning period. The potassium ratio method was used to identify biomass burning samples. The average ratio of potassium in the fine mode to the coarse mode (FK/CK) was 23.8 during the biomass burning period, 6.0 during the haze period, and 4.7 during the normal period, respectively. A FK/CK ratio above 9.2 was considered a criterion for biomass burning event in this study. Particulate matter from the open field burning of agricultural waste has an adverse impact on visibility, human health, and regional air quality.     

Characteristics of organic and elemental carbon in PM2.5 samples in Shanghai, China

Shanghai is the largest industrial and commercial city in China, and its air quality has been deteriorating for several decades. However, there are scarce researches on the level and seasonal variation of fine particle (PM_2.5) as well as the carbonaceous fractions when compared with other cities in China and around the world. In the present paper, abundance and seasonal characteristics of PM_2.5, organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) were studied at urban and suburban sites in Shanghai during four season-representative months in 2005–2006 year. PM_2.5 samples were collected with high-vol samplers and analyzed for OC and EC using thermal-optical transmittance (TOT) protocol. Results showed that the annual average PM_2.5 concentrations were 90.3–95.5 μg/m³ at both sites, while OC and EC were 14.7–17.4 μg/m³ and 2.8–3.0 μg/m³, respectively, with the OC/EC ratios of 5.0–5.6. The carbonaceous levels ranked by the order of Beijing > Guangzhou > Shanghai > Hong Kong. The carbonaceous aerosol accounted for  30% of the PM_2.5 mass. On seasonal average, the highest OC and EC levels occurred during fall, and they were higher than the values in summer by a factor of 2. Strong correlations (r = 0.79–0.93) between OC and EC were found in the four seasons. Average level of secondary organic carbon (SOC) was 5.7–7.2 μg/m³, accounting for  30% of the total OC. Strong seasonal variation was observed for SOC with the highest value during fall, which was about two times the annual average.     

Concentration and gas/particle partitioning of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at an industrial site at Bursa, Turkey

Gas and particle phase concentrations of atmospheric polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured at an urban/industrial site in the city of Bursa, Turkey. PCB concentration levels were presented between July 2004 and May 2005. Average particle and gas phase concentrations of individual PCB congeners ranged from 0.08 (PCB-183) to 6.86 (PCB-49) pg m^− 3 and from 0.01 (PCB-209) to 47.2 (PCB-33) pg m^− 3, respectively. The mean concentration of total (gas + particle) PCBs varied between 24.27 and 666.21 pg m^− 3 with an average of 287.27 ± 174.80 pg m^− 3. PCB concentrations at the sampling site were higher than the concentrations reported at non-urban sites. PCBs partitioned between gas and particle phases and the partitioning was examined according to different approaches such as logK_p–logP_L^o, logK_p–logK_OA and the Junge–Pankow model. In order to present possible interactions, a correlation matrix based on PCB congeners and meteorological parameters was constructed. Application of the Clausius–Clapeyron equation yielded a low slope value indicating possible emissions from local and regional sources originating mainly from urban/industrial areas, landfill and waste incineration plant. Then, likely dry deposition fluxes were estimated depending on reported dry deposition velocity and atmospheric concentration values.     

Resources of the ionized atmosphere as an aerosol source

The potential resources on the ion-stimulated syntheses effects of aerosol particles of lower troposphere in test sites in the arctic, mountain, arid and forest areas as the function of irradiation time and gas-precursor concentration were experimentally and theoretically evaluated. The dust-free outdoor air was irradiated with an ionization current of 10^− 6 A by α-rays from isotope ²³⁹Pu. The total output of radiolytic aerosols (RA) with a diameter of 3–1000 nm was found to be 0.05–0.1 molecules per 1 eV of absorbed radiation, while the physical upper limit is 0.25–0.4 molecules/eV. In an interval of exposition time from 6 to 800 s (adsorbed energy is 3 · 10¹²–10¹⁴ eV/cm³) the RA mass concentration at different sites was increased from 1–10 to 50–500 μg/m³. According to the liquid chromatography data the major RA material is the H₂O/HNO₃ solution with acid concentration  25%. The used physical model presents new aerosols as a product from small and intermediate ion association through formation of neutral clusters and describes adequately some of the peculiarities in field experiment data. Introducing SO₂, NH₃, and also hydrochloric, nitric and sulphuric acid vapours with concentration 0.1–1 mg/m³ in the irradiated air stimulated an increase of mass aerosol concentration by a factor of 8–30. The mean size also decreased by a factor of 3–5. These facts allowed us to expect that the chemical composition of radiolytic aerosols generated in outdoor air would noticeably differ after addition of the gas-precursors.     

Ambient air measurements of six bifunctional carbonyls in a suburban area

Low-molecular-weight carbonyl compounds, generated by photochemical reactions in the atmosphere and found in the exhaust of motor vehicles, have recently come to the attention of researchers because some of them are suspected carcinogens or mutagens. Six bifunctional carbonyl compounds were detected and measured in a suburban site 30 km northwest of the Tokyo metropolitan area. Samples were taken on five sunny days between 2 August and 11 August 2003 with a low-volume denuder and three-filter tandem system using O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine (PFBHA) as a sorbent. Bifunctional carbonyls were measured by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry after two derivatization processes with PFBHA and N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)-trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA). The average total (gas plus particle) concentrations were 162.8 ng m^− 3 for pyruvic acid, 113.7 ng m^− 3 for methylglyoxal, 36.0 ng m^− 3 for glycolaldehyde and 58.6 ng m^− 3 for glyoxal.     

Geochemistry of regional background aerosols in the Western Mediterranean

The chemical composition of regional background aerosols, and the time variability and sources in the Western Mediterranean are interpreted in this study. To this end 2002–2007 PM speciation data from an European Supersite for Atmospheric Aerosol Research (Montseny, MSY, located 40 km NNE of Barcelona in NE Spain) were evaluated, with these data being considered representative of regional background aerosols in the Western Mediterranean Basin. The mean PM₁₀, PM_2.5 and PM₁ levels at MSY during 2002–2007 were 16, 14 and 11 µg/m³, respectively. After compiling data on regional background PM speciation from Europe to compare our data, it is evidenced that the Western Mediterranean aerosol is characterised by higher concentrations of crustal material but lower levels of OM + EC and ammonium nitrate than at central European sites. Relatively high PM_2.5 concentrations due to the transport of anthropogenic aerosols (mostly carbonaceous and sulphate) from populated coastal areas were recorded, especially during winter anticyclonic episodes and summer midday PM highs (the latter associated with the transport of the breeze and the expansion of the mixing layer). Source apportionment analyses indicated that the major contributors to PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ were secondary sulphate, secondary nitrate and crustal material, whereas the higher load of the anthropogenic component in PM_2.5 reflects the influence of regional (traffic and industrial) emissions. Levels of mineral, sulphate, sea spray and carbonaceous aerosols were higher in summer, whereas nitrate levels and Cl/Na were higher in winter. A considerably high OC/EC ratio (14 in summer, 10 in winter) was detected, which could be due to a combination of high biogenic emissions of secondary organic aerosol, SOA precursors, ozone levels and insolation, and intensive recirculation of aged air masses. Compared with more locally derived crustal geological dusts, African dust intrusions introduce relatively quartz-poor but clay mineral-rich silicate PM, with more kaolinitic clays from central North Africa in summer, and more smectitic clays from NW Africa in spring.     

Study of small ions concentration in the air above Athens, Greece

Measurements of positive and negative small atmospheric ion concentrations have been made regularly since 1968 at the National Observatory of Athens (NOA). In this paper the 17-year period 1968–1984 is summarized. The diurnal and annual variations are examined, and Fourier analysis is also used for the study of the diurnal variation. The concentrations of small ions follow a double diurnal course. The maxima occur near 3–5 h and 13–16 h local time (LT = GMT + 2 h). The minima are observed at 6–8 h and 21–23 h. The annual course of small ions presents maximum concentration values around the summer season. The mean of the small ion concentration (SIC) for the 17-year period (1968–1984) is n₊ = 188.8 ions/cm³ for positive ions and n₋ = 151.1 ions/cm³ for negative ions. Their ratio is equal to 1.25. The year-to-year variation of SIC for the examined period shows a negative trend. The results from multiple regression analysis show that wind speed and SIC are positively correlated, while relative humidity, smoke and sulphur dioxide are negatively correlated.     

Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen, sulfur and chloride in Thessaloniki, Greece

In the present study, the wet and dry depositions of particulate NO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻, Cl⁻ and NH₄⁺ were measured using a wet/dry sampler as a surrogate surface. Gas phase compounds of nitrogen, sulfur and chloride (HNO₃, NH₃, SO₂ and HCl) were measured by an annular denuder system (ADS) equipped with a back up filter for the collection of particles with diameter ≤ 5 μm. Ambient concentrations of NO, NO₂ and SO₂ were also taken into consideration. Sampling was conducted at an urban site in the center of the city of Thessaloniki, northern Greece. The presence of the aerosol species was examined by cold/warm period and the possible compounds in dry deposits were also considered. Dry deposition fluxes were found to be well correlated with ambient particle concentrations in order to be used for the calculation of particle deposition velocity. Average particulate deposition velocities calculated were 0.36, 0.20, 0.20 and 0.10 cm s^− 1 for Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻ and NH₄⁺, respectively. Total dry deposition fluxes (gas and particles) were estimated at 3.24 kg ha^− 1 year^− 1 for chloride (HCl + p-Cl), 9.97 kg ha^− 1 year^− 1 for nitrogen oxidized (NO + NO₂ + HNO₃ + p-NO₃), 5.32 kg ha^− 1 year^− 1 for nitrogen reduced (NH₃ + p-NH₄) and 15.77 kg ha^− 1 year^− 1 for sulfur (SO₂ + p-SO₄). 70–90% total dry deposition was due to gaseous species deposition. The contribution of dry deposition to the total (wet + dry) was at the level of 60–70% for sulfur and nitrogen (oxidized and reduced), whereas dry chloride deposition contributed 35% to the total. The dry-to-wet deposition ratio of all the studied species was found to be significantly associated with the precipitation amount, with nitrogen species being better and higher correlated. Wet, dry and total depositions measured in Thessaloniki, were compared with other countries of Europe, US and Asia.     

Temporal characteristics and fog water collection during summer in Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain)

The study of fog dynamics in the island of Tenerife began in 1993 at six sites. The analysis of the relationship between fog and several meteorological parameters was conducted at the site located at Anaga. Anaga is located at the summit of a mountain range, at an altitude of 842 m and 3.5 km away from the north-western coastline of the island. The study uses hourly data of the three summer months (June, July and August) that were collected over a period of nine years — from 1996 to 2005. The mean summer (June–August) rainfall was found to be 21.2 mm whilst the total volume of fog water collected was 879.9 l m^− 2; the daily average fog water collection was 9.5 l m^− 2 day^− 1, and the hourly average about 0.4 l m^− 2 h^− 1. Although these amounts were recorded with wind speeds of between 8 and 12 m s^− 1, the correlation between water collected and wind speed is not statistically significant. In spite of this, the volume of fog water collected and wind speed showed a very distinct daily behavioural pattern, their frequency and speed reaching their minimum at 12 a.m. and their maximum from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. GMT. The importance of this research is that it shows that the fog in the Canary Islands occurs more frequently and makes a more significant contribution to the growth of vegetation in the summer (the dry season) than in the winter, when fog accompanies rainfall.     

Carbonaceous materials in size-segregated atmospheric aerosols from urban and coastal-rural areas at the Western European Coast

A high-volume cascade impactor, equipped with a PM10 inlet, was used to collect size-segregated aerosol samples during the summer of 2004 at two Portuguese locations: a coastal-rural area (Moitinhos) and an urban area (Oporto). Concentrations of airborne particulate matter (PM), total carbon (TC), organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) were determined for the following particle size ranges: < 0.49, 0.49–0.95, 0.95–3.0, and 3.0–10 µm. The total PM mass concentrations at the urban and coastal-rural sites ranged from 22.8 to 79.6 μg m^− 3 and 19.9 to 28.2 μg m^− 3, respectively, and more than 56% of the total aerosol mass was found in the fractions below 3.0 μm. At both locations the highest concentrations of OC and EC were found in the submicrometer size range. The regional variability for the OC and EC concentrations, with the highest concentrations being found in the urban area, was related to the contribution of local primary sources (mostly traffic emissions). It was also verified an enrichment of the small size particles in WSOC, representing on average 37.3(± 12.4)% and 59.7(± 18.0)% of OC in the very fine aerosol at the coastal-rural and urban areas, respectively. The amount of secondary OC calculated by the minimum OC/EC ratio method indicates that secondary organic aerosol formation was important throughout the study at both sites. The obtained results suggest that long-range transport and favourable summer conditions for photochemical oxidation are key factors determining secondary OC formation in the coastal-rural and urban areas. The ultraviolet absorption properties of the chromophoric constituents of the WSOC fractions were also different among the different particle size ranges and also between the two sampling locations, thus suggesting the strong impact of the diverse emission sources into the composition of the size-segregated organic aerosol.     

Fog collection in the western Mediterranean basin (Valencia region, Spain)

Four different mountainous locations were selected in the Valencia region, East coast of the Iberian Peninsula, for fog water collection studies. Data for 2004 were obtained by means of an instrument ensemble consisting essentially of a passive cylindrical fog water collector, a raingauge, a wind direction and velocity sensor and a temperature and humidity probe. An approximate data reduction technique was also found for this specific ensemble to eliminate the simultaneous rain water component from the fog water measurements. Main results indicate that fog water collection holds significant potential in this region, and especially for southern locations. Annual rates of fog water yield can be as high as 7.0 l/m²/day in the southern locations, in contrast to 2.0 l/m²/day collected at one site in a northern location. The highest summer fog water yield was 4.6 l/m²/day, a relatively large value. Except for the summer period, fog episodes delivering sizeable water volumes are inherently coupled to rainfall. Hourly frequencies of fog collection were also examined to show a distinct daily cycle in summer, denoting orographic fog formation during this period. Lastly, winds were analysed to resolve the most suitable directions for fog collector alignment.     

Size-resolved aerosol chemical concentrations at rural and urban sites in Central California, USA

Aerosol size distributions were measured with Micro Orifice Uniform Deposit Impactor (MOUDI) cascade impactors at the rural Angiola and urban Fresno Supersites in California's San Joaquin Valley during the California Regional PM₁₀/PM_2.5 Air Quality Study (CRPAQS) winter campaign from December 15, 2000 to February 3, 2001. PM_2.5 filter samples were collected concurrently at both sites with Sequential Filter Samplers (SFS). MOUDI nitrate (NO₃⁻) concentrations reached 66 μg/m³ on January 6, 2001 during the 1000–1600 PST (GMT-8) period. Pair-wise comparisons between PM_2.5 MOUDI and SFS concentrations revealed high correlations at the Angiola site (r > 0.93) but more variability (r < 0.85) at the Fresno site for NO₃⁻, sulfate (SO₄⁼), and ammonium (NH₄⁺). Correlations were higher at Fresno (r > 0.87) than at Angiola (r < 0.7) for organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), and total carbon (TC). NO₃⁻ and SO₄⁼ size distributions in Fresno were multi-modal and wider than the uni-modal distributions observed at Angiola. Geometric mean diameters (GMD) were smaller for OC and EC than for NO₃⁻ and SO₄⁼ at both sites. OC and EC were more concentrated on the lowest MOUDI stage (0.056 µm) at Angiola than at Fresno. The NO₃⁻ GMD increased from 0.97 to 1.02 µm as the NO₃⁻ concentration at Angiola increased from 43 to 66 µg m^− 3 during a PM_2.5 episode from January 4–7, 2001. There was a direct relationship between GMD and NO₃⁻ and SO₄⁼ concentrations at Angiola but no such relationships for OC or EC. This demonstrates that secondary aerosol formation increases both concentration and particle size for the rural California environment.     

One year measurements of aerosol optical properties over an urban coastal site: Effect on local direct radiative forcing

We present results of direct aerosol radiative forcing over a French Mediterranean coastal zone based on one year of continuous observations of aerosol optical properties during 2005–2006. Monthly-mean aerosol optical depth at 440 nm ranged between 0.1 and 0.34, with high Angstrom coefficient (α > 1.2). The single scattering albedo (at 525 nm) estimated at the surface ranged between 0.7 and 0.8, indicating significant absorption. The presence of aerosols over the Mediterranean zone during summer decreases the shortwave radiation reaching the surface by as much as 26 ± 3.9 W m^− 2, and increases the top of the atmosphere reflected radiation by as much as 5.2 ± 1.0 W m^− 2. The shortwave atmospheric absorption translates to an atmospheric heating of 2.5 to 4.6 K day^− 1. Concerted efforts are needed for investigating the possible impact of the increase in heating rate on the maintenance of heat-waves frequently occurring over this coastal region during summer time.     

Seasonal variations of atmospheric sulfur dioxide and dimethylsulfide concentrations at Amsterdam Island in the southern Indian Ocean

Daily measurements of atmospheric sulfur dioxide (SO₂) concentrations were performed from March 1989 to January 1991 at Amsterdam Island (37°50 S–77°30 E), a remote site located in the southern Indian Ocean. Long-range transport of continental air masses was studied using Radon (²²²Rn) as continental tracer. Average monthly SO₂ concentrations range from less than 0.2 to 3.9 nmol m^-3 (annual average = 0.7 nmol m^-3) and present a seasonal cycle with a minimum in winter and a maximum in summer, similar to that described for atmospheric DMS concentrations measured during the same period. Clear diel correlation between atmospheric DMS and SO₂ concentrations is also observed during summer. A photochemical box model using measured atmospheric DMS concentrations as input data reproduces the seasonal variations in the measured atmospheric SO₂ concentrations within ±30%. Comparing between computed and measured SO₂ concentrations allowed us to estimate a yield of SO₂ from DMS oxidation of about 70%.     

Field study of dimethylsulfide oxibation in the boundary layer: Variations of dimethylsulfide,methanesulfonic acid,sulfur dioxide,non-sea-salt sulfate and aitken nuclei at a coastal site

Measurements of atmospheric dimethylsulfide (DMS) and its oxidation products, sulfur dioxide (SO₂), methanesulfonic acid (MSA) and non-sea-salt sulfate (nss-SO₄ ^2-) were monitored during the period June 9–26, 1989 at a coastal site in Brittany. As indicated by the radon (Rn-222) activities and the high concentrations of NOx the air masses, for most of the experiment, were continental in origin. The observed concentrations range from 1.9 to 65 nmol/m³ for DMS (n=157), 0.6 to 94.2 nmol/m³ for SO₂ (n=50), 0.6 to 11.6 nmol/m³ for MSA (n=44) and 42 to 350 nmol/m³ for nss-SO₄ ^2- (n=44). Aitken nuclei reached values as high as 4.5 × 10⁵ particles/m³. When continental conditions predominated, the measured SO₂ concentrations were lower than those expected from a consideration of the observed DMS concentrations and the existence of SO₂ background of the continental air masses. Similarly, compared to the MSA/DMS ratio in the marine atmosphere, higher concentrations of MSA were observed than those expected from the measured levels of DMS. The presence of enhanced levels of MSA was also endorsed by the observation that the measured mean MSA/nss-SO₄ ^2- ratio of 6±3% was similar to the mean value of 6.9% observed in the marine atmosphere. These above observations are in line with recent laboratory findings by Barnes et al. (1988), which show an increase of the MSA/DMS yield with a simultaneous decrease of the SO₂/DMS yield in the presence of NOx.