Total sugars in the aerosols at the urban and forested sites.

Abstract

Total sugars in the aerosols, which have been pointed out to play important roles in the atmospheric environment, for instance to act as cloud condensation nuclei, were quantified with a phenol-sulfuric acid method to discuss their concentration, contribution to the water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), and sources. Aerosol samples were collected at an urban site in Kofu and a forested site on the northern foot of Mt. Fuji. The total sugars were mainly partitioned into the fine-mode range than the coarse-mode range, and their concentrations were higher at the urban site than the forested site. Primary emissions by dispersal of plant debris and biomass burning are considered to be important sources for coarse and fine aerosols, respectively. The concentration ratios of the total sugars to the WSOC were about 10-20%. This ratio was higher in the coarse-mode range than the fine-mode range and higher at the urban sites than at the forested sites. These results indicate that the total sugars are an important component of the WSOC in the aerosols.