Testing iron stable isotope ratios as a signature of biomass burning

Abstract

Biomass burning is an important source of soluble Fe transported to the open ocean; however, its exact contribution remains unclear. Iron isotope ratios can be used as a tracer because Fe emitted by combustion can yield very low Fe isotope ratios due to isotope fractionation during evaporation processes. However, data on Fe isotope ratios of aerosol particles emitted during biomass burning are lacking. We collected size-fractionated aerosol samples before, during, and after a biomass burning event and compared their Fe isotope ratios. On the basis of the concentrations of several elements and Fe species, Fe emitted during the event mainly comprised suspended soil particles in all the size fractions. Iron isotope ratios of fine particles before and after the event were low due to the influence of other anthropogenic combustion sources, but they were closer to the crustal value during the event because of the influence of Fe from suspended soil. Although Fe isotope ratios of soluble Fe were also measured to reduce Fe from soil components, we did not find low isotope signals. Results suggested that Fe isotope ratios could not identify Fe emitted by biomass burning, and low Fe isotope ratios are found only when the combustion temperature is high enough for a sufficient amount of Fe to evaporate.