title: Non-polar organic compounds in marine aerosols over the northern South China Sea: Influence of continental outflow.
abstract: Filter samples of total suspended particle (TSP) collected during a cruise campaign over the northern South China Sea (SCS) from September to October 2013 were analyzed for non-polar organic compounds (NPOCs) as well as organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC) and water-soluble ions. A total of 115 NPOCs species in groups of n-alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), iso-/antiso-alkanes, hopanes, steranes, methylalkanes, branched alkanes, cycloalkanes, alkenes and phthalates were detected. The characteristics of NPOCs in marine TSP samples were investigated to understand the sources from the Asian continent and other regions. The concentrations of total NPOCs ranged from 19.8 to 288.2 ng/m(3) with an average of 87.9 ng/m(3), which accounted for 0.8-1.7% (average 1.0%) of organic matter (OM). n-Alkanes was the predominant group, accounting for 43.1-79.5%, followed by PAHs (5.5-44.4%) and hopanes (1.6-11.4%). We found that primary combustion (biomass burning/fossil fuel combustion) was the dominant source for the majority of NPOCs (89.1%). Biomass burning in southern/southeastern China via long-range transport was proposed to be a major contributor of NPOCs in marine aerosols over the northern SCS, suggested by the significant correlations between nss-K(+) and NPOCs groups as well as the analysis of air mass back-trajectory and fire spots. For the samples with strong continental influence, the strong enhancement in concentrations of n-alkanes, PAHs, hopanes and steranes were attributed to fossil fuel (coal/petroleum) combustion. In addition, terrestrial plants waxes were another contributor to NPOCs.
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment and Pollution Control, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment and Pollution Control, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address: zhyy@scut.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yingyi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Pingqing
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, China; Division of Atmospheric Sciences, Desert Research Institute, 2215 Raggio Pathway, Reno, NV, United States.
authors.forename: Steven Sai Hang
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Kin Fai
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Fobang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Shichun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment and Pollution Control, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment and Pollution Control, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China; Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany. Electronic address: sclai@scut.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Senchao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lai
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols / Q000032:analysis*; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000473:Alkanes / Q000032:analysis; D018533:Biomass; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D002681:China; D005390:Fires; D005579:Fossil Fuels / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D010795:Phthalic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D000393:Air Pollutants; D000473:Alkanes; D005579:Fossil Fuels; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D052638:Particulate Matter; D010795:Phthalic Acids; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014867:Water; C032279:phthalic acid; D002244:Carbon
keywords: Biomass burning; Hopanes; Long-range transport; Northern South China Sea; PAHs; n-Alkanes