Back to Search Start Over

Atmospheric Trace Metal Deposition near the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Authors :
Michal Strzelec
Bernadette C. Proemse
Melanie Gault-Ringold
Philip W. Boyd
Morgane M. G. Perron
Robyn Schofield
Robert G. Ryan
Zoran D. Ristovski
Joel Alroe
Ruhi S. Humphries
Melita D. Keywood
Jason Ward
Andrew R. Bowie
Source :
Atmosphere, Vol 11, Iss 4, p 390 (2020)
Publication Year :
2020
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2020.

Abstract

Aerosols deposited into the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) contain iron (Fe) and other trace metals, which may act as micronutrients or as toxins to this sensitive marine ecosystem. In this paper, we quantified the atmospheric deposition of Fe and investigated aerosol sources in Mission Beach (Queensland) next to the GBR. Leaching experiments were applied to distinguish pools of Fe with regard to its solubility. The labile Fe concentration in aerosols was 2.3–10.6 ng m−3, which is equivalent to 4.9%–11.4% of total Fe and was linked to combustion and biomass burning processes, while total Fe was dominated by crustal sources. A one-day precipitation event provided more soluble iron than the average dry deposition flux, 0.165 and 0.143 μmol m−2 day−1, respectively. Scanning Electron Microscopy indicated that alumina-silicates were the main carriers of total Fe and samples affected by combustion emissions were accompanied by regular round-shaped carbonaceous particulates. Collected aerosols contained significant amounts of Cd, Co, Cu, Mo, Mn, Pb, V, and Zn, which were mostly (47.5%–96.7%) in the labile form. In this study, we provide the first field data on the atmospheric delivery of Fe and other trace metals to the GBR and propose that this is an important delivery mechanism to this region.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20734433
Volume :
11
Issue :
4
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Atmosphere
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.2fed03f03d648c9ae293787b99c2464
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11040390