Concentrations and sources of carbonaceous aerosol in the atmosphere of Summit, Greenland

Abstract

High-volume PM2.5 samples were collected at Summit, Greenland for approximately six months from late May through December of 2006. Filters were composited and analyzed for source tracer compounds. The individual organic compounds measured at Summit are orders of magnitude smaller than concentrations measured at other sites, including locations representative of remote oceanic, and remote and urban continental aerosol. The measured tracers were used to quantify the contribution of biomass burning (0.6-0.9 ng C m-3), vegetative detritus (0.3-0.9 ng C m-3), and fossil fuel combustion (0.1-0.8 ng C m-3) sources, 4% of OC total, to atmospheric organic carbon concentrations at the remote location of Summit, Greenland. The unapportioned organic carbon (96%) during the early summer period correlates well with the fraction of water soluble organic carbon, indicating secondary organic aerosol as a large source of organic carbon, supported by the active photochemistry occurring at Summit. To the author's knowledge, this paper represents the first source apportionment results for the polar free troposphere. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.