Sugars--dominant water-soluble organic compounds in soils and characterization as tracers in atmospheric particulate matter.
The presence of saccharides is being reported for aerosols taken in urban, rural, and marine locales. The commonly found primary saccharides are alpha- and beta-glucose, alpha- and beta-fructose, sucrose, and mycose with lesser amounts of other monosaccharides. Saccharide polyols are also found in some airsheds and consist mainly of sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, erythritol, and glycerol. In temperate climate areas these compounds increase from negligible concentrations in winter aerosols (usually dominated by levoglucosan and related anhydrosaccharides from biomass burning) to a maximum in late spring-summer, followed by a decrease to winter. The composition of the saccharide mixtures suggests soil and associated microbiota as the source. Saccharide analyses of soils confirmed these compositions. Therefore, we propose resuspension of soil (also unpaved road dust) from agricultural activities as a major component of aerosol particles and the saccharides are the source specific tracers. In addition, the saccharides as well as the anhydrosaccharide derivatives from biomass burning are completely water soluble and thus contribute significantly to the total water-soluble mass of aerosols.
Simoneit
Bernd R T
BR
College of Oceanic & Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-5503, USA. simoneit@coas.oregonstate.edu
Elias
Vladimir O
VO
Kobayashi
Minoru
M
Kawamura
Kimitaka
K
Rushdi
Ahmed I
AI
Medeiros
Patricia M
PM
Rogge
Wolfgang F
WF
Didyk
Borys M
BM
D000336:Aerosols / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D018533:Biomass; D004187:Disaccharides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D017745:Incineration; D009005:Monosaccharides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D012621:Seasons; D012906:Smoke; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis
D000336:Aerosols; D000393:Air Pollutants; D004187:Disaccharides; D009005:Monosaccharides; D012906:Smoke; D012989:Soil Pollutants