P-NEXFS analysis of aerosol phosphorus delivered to the Mediterranean Sea

Biological productivity in many ocean regions is controlled by the availability of the nutrient phosphorus. In the Mediterranean Sea, aerosol deposition is a key source of phosphorus and understanding its composition is critical for determining its potential bioavailability. Aerosol phosphorus was i...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inGeophysical research letters Vol. 41; no. 11; pp. 4043 - 4049
Main Authors Longo, Amelia F., Ingall, Ellery D., Diaz, Julia M., Oakes, Michelle, King, Laura E., Nenes, Athanasios, Mihalopoulos, Nikolaos, Violaki, Kaliopi, Avila, Anna, Benitez-Nelson, Claudia R., Brandes, Jay, McNulty, Ian, Vine, David J.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Washington Blackwell Publishing Ltd 16.06.2014
John Wiley & Sons, Inc
Subjects
aerosol
Aerosol deposition
Aerosols
Air masses
Analytical methods
Availability
Bacteria
Bioavailability
Composition
Deposition
Emission spectroscopy
Fluorescence
Fluorescence spectroscopy
Geophysics
Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
Mineral nutrients
Nutrient availability
Organic phosphorus
Organophosphorus compounds
Phosphorus
Phosphorus compounds
Pollution sources
Spectroscopy
X-ray fluorescence
Mediterranean Sea
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Biological productivity in many ocean regions is controlled by the availability of the nutrient phosphorus. In the Mediterranean Sea, aerosol deposition is a key source of phosphorus and understanding its composition is critical for determining its potential bioavailability. Aerosol phosphorus was investigated in European and North African air masses using phosphorus near‐edge X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy (P‐NEXFS). These air masses are the main source of aerosol deposition to the Mediterranean Sea. We show that European aerosols are a significant source of soluble phosphorus to the Mediterranean Sea. European aerosols deliver on average 3.5 times more soluble phosphorus than North African aerosols and furthermore are dominated by organic phosphorus compounds. The ultimate source of organic phosphorus does not stem from common primary emission sources. Rather, phosphorus associated with bacteria best explains the presence of organic phosphorus in Mediterranean aerosols. Key Points Synchrotron‐based techniques are effective tools for characterizing aerosols P in European and North African air masses is compositionally distinct European aerosols deliver substantial soluble phosphorus to the Mediterranean
Bibliography:ReadmeText S1Table S1Table S2Figure S1Figure S2
istex:11764E03A8D426814070DBE3A45E535D2CE38C49
ark:/67375/WNG-WTCM5ZBH-9
ArticleID:GRL51741
ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 23
ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007
DOI:10.1002/2014GL060555