Air pollution–aerosol interactions produce more bioavailable iron for ocean ecosystems

Weijun Li; Liang Xu; Xiaohuan Liu; Jianchao Zhang; Yangting Lin; Xiaohong Yao; Huiwang Gao; Daizhou Zhang; Jianmin Chen; Wenxing Wang; Roy M. Harrison; Xiaoye Zhang; Longyi Shao; Pingqing Fu; Athanasios Nenes; Zongbo Shi

doi:10.1126/sciadv.1601749

Air pollution–aerosol interactions produce more bioavailable iron for ocean ecosystems

Weijun Li, Liang Xu, Xiaohuan Liu, Jianchao Zhang, Yangting Lin, Xiaohong Yao, Huiwang Gao, Daizhou Zhang, Jianmin Chen, Wenxing Wang, Roy M. Harrison, Xiaoye Zhang, Longyi Shao, Pingqing Fu, Athanasios Nenes, Zongbo Shi^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Earth and Environmental Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

110 Citations (Scopus)

148 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

It has long been hypothesized that acids formed from anthropogenic pollutants and natural emissions dissolve iron (Fe) in airborne particles, enhancing the supply of bioavailable Fe to the oceans. However, field observations have yet to provide indisputable evidence to confirm this hypothesis. Single-particle chemical analysis for hundreds of individual atmospheric particles collected over the East China Sea shows that Fe-rich particles from coal combustion and steel industries were coated with thick layers of sulfate after 1 to 2 days of atmospheric residence. The Fe in aged particles was present as a “hotspot” of (insoluble) iron oxides and throughout the acidic sulfate coating in the form of (soluble) Fe sulfate, which increases with degree of aging (thickness of coating). This provides the “smoking gun” for acid iron dissolution, because iron sulfate was not detected in the freshly emitted particles and there is no other source or mechanism of iron sulfate formation in the atmosphere.

Original language	English
Article number	e1601749
Number of pages	7
Journal	Science Advances
Volume	3
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1601749
Publication status	Published - 1 Mar 2017

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Medicine

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Li_et_al_Air_pollution_Science_Advances_2017
Checked for eligibility: 08/03/2017
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https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/3/e1601749Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

Are iron nanoparticles in wet deposition a potential source of bioavailable Fe to marine algae?
Shi, Z.
Natural Environment Research Council
1/07/13 → 31/12/14
Project: Research Councils
Novel approaches to the evaluation of iron and phosphorus availability in dust deposited to the oceans
Shi, Z.
Natural Environment Research Council
4/07/11 → 10/07/15
Project: Research Councils

Cite this

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title = "Air pollution–aerosol interactions produce more bioavailable iron for ocean ecosystems",

abstract = "It has long been hypothesized that acids formed from anthropogenic pollutants and natural emissions dissolve iron (Fe) in airborne particles, enhancing the supply of bioavailable Fe to the oceans. However, field observations have yet to provide indisputable evidence to confirm this hypothesis. Single-particle chemical analysis for hundreds of individual atmospheric particles collected over the East China Sea shows that Fe-rich particles from coal combustion and steel industries were coated with thick layers of sulfate after 1 to 2 days of atmospheric residence. The Fe in aged particles was present as a “hotspot” of (insoluble) iron oxides and throughout the acidic sulfate coating in the form of (soluble) Fe sulfate, which increases with degree of aging (thickness of coating). This provides the “smoking gun” for acid iron dissolution, because iron sulfate was not detected in the freshly emitted particles and there is no other source or mechanism of iron sulfate formation in the atmosphere.",

author = "Weijun Li and Liang Xu and Xiaohuan Liu and Jianchao Zhang and Yangting Lin and Xiaohong Yao and Huiwang Gao and Daizhou Zhang and Jianmin Chen and Wenxing Wang and Harrison, {Roy M.} and Xiaoye Zhang and Longyi Shao and Pingqing Fu and Athanasios Nenes and Zongbo Shi",

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T1 - Air pollution–aerosol interactions produce more bioavailable iron for ocean ecosystems

AU - Li, Weijun

AU - Xu, Liang

AU - Liu, Xiaohuan

AU - Zhang, Jianchao

AU - Lin, Yangting

AU - Yao, Xiaohong

AU - Gao, Huiwang

AU - Zhang, Daizhou

AU - Chen, Jianmin

AU - Wang, Wenxing

AU - Harrison, Roy M.

AU - Zhang, Xiaoye

AU - Shao, Longyi

AU - Fu, Pingqing

AU - Nenes, Athanasios

AU - Shi, Zongbo

PY - 2017/3/1

Y1 - 2017/3/1

N2 - It has long been hypothesized that acids formed from anthropogenic pollutants and natural emissions dissolve iron (Fe) in airborne particles, enhancing the supply of bioavailable Fe to the oceans. However, field observations have yet to provide indisputable evidence to confirm this hypothesis. Single-particle chemical analysis for hundreds of individual atmospheric particles collected over the East China Sea shows that Fe-rich particles from coal combustion and steel industries were coated with thick layers of sulfate after 1 to 2 days of atmospheric residence. The Fe in aged particles was present as a “hotspot” of (insoluble) iron oxides and throughout the acidic sulfate coating in the form of (soluble) Fe sulfate, which increases with degree of aging (thickness of coating). This provides the “smoking gun” for acid iron dissolution, because iron sulfate was not detected in the freshly emitted particles and there is no other source or mechanism of iron sulfate formation in the atmosphere.

AB - It has long been hypothesized that acids formed from anthropogenic pollutants and natural emissions dissolve iron (Fe) in airborne particles, enhancing the supply of bioavailable Fe to the oceans. However, field observations have yet to provide indisputable evidence to confirm this hypothesis. Single-particle chemical analysis for hundreds of individual atmospheric particles collected over the East China Sea shows that Fe-rich particles from coal combustion and steel industries were coated with thick layers of sulfate after 1 to 2 days of atmospheric residence. The Fe in aged particles was present as a “hotspot” of (insoluble) iron oxides and throughout the acidic sulfate coating in the form of (soluble) Fe sulfate, which increases with degree of aging (thickness of coating). This provides the “smoking gun” for acid iron dissolution, because iron sulfate was not detected in the freshly emitted particles and there is no other source or mechanism of iron sulfate formation in the atmosphere.

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JO - Science Advances

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Air pollution–aerosol interactions produce more bioavailable iron for ocean ecosystems

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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Are iron nanoparticles in wet deposition a potential source of bioavailable Fe to marine algae?

Novel approaches to the evaluation of iron and phosphorus availability in dust deposited to the oceans

Cite this