Relationships of emission sources and atmospheric processes of aerosol Fe with its solubility

Abstract

Dry and wet depositions of aerosol iron (Fe) is one of the dominant sources of dissolved Fe in surface seawater. Although much effort has been paid to understanding the factors controlling fractional Fe solubility in aerosol particles, their uncertainties still remain. This paper summarizes the factors controlling the fractional Fe solubility in aerosol particles (e.g., emission sources and atmospheric processes) based on the observational results of size-fractionated aerosol particles collected in the marine atmosphere. In particular, we mainly focus on two topics: (1) source apportionment of Fe using the Fe isotope ratio and (2) chemical alteration processes of Fe-bearing particles in the ambient atmosphere. Finally, future perspectives and strategies for field observation of trace metals in aerosol particles will be discussed.