Chemistry of atmospheric aerosols

Summary A survey is given on the present status of knowledge about the chemical composition of atmospheric aerosols. Results on the size distribution and the physical structure of the nuclei provide the necessary basis for an under-standing of their chemistry. Very little is known about the chemistry of particles smaller than 0.1. For larger particles micro-analyses show the presence of sulfate, nitrate, chloride, sodium and ammonium which varies in a characteristic way with the size of the particles. The sea spray component can be isolated. Data from rain water analyses are used to obtain information on the large scale distribution of these components and their sources. Some remarks about the fraction of the particles acting as true condensation nuclei and the radioactivity will conclude the paper.The subject has been already developed in detail inAdvances of Geophysics, Vol. 4 (edited byH. E. Landsberg & J. van Miechem), Academic Press Inc., New York, 1958.