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Compound-specific carbon isotope compositions of individual long-chain n-alkanes in severe Asian dust episodes in the North China coast in 2002

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Chinese Science Bulletin

Abstract

The molecular compositions and compound-specific carbon isotope compositions of individual long-chain n-alkanes of atmospheric aerosols collected during two severe Asian dust episodes in Qingdao in spring of 2002 were analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and gas chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/IRMS). Typical plant wax n-alkanes (C29 and C31) had lower δ13C values than those from anthropogenic (engine exhaust) sources (C21-C23). The average δ13C value of plant wax n-alkane C29 in non-dust episode periods was −30.5‰ (−30.3‰–−31.9‰), while −31.3‰ (−31.1‰–−31.5‰) in dust episode periods; for C31, it was −31.4‰ (−31.1‰–−33.0‰) in non-dust episode periods, and −31.7‰ (−31.3‰–−32.6‰) in dust episode periods. Plant wax in the dust episode samples was mainly from herbaceous plants via long-range transport, while local plant wax was mainly from deciduous plants and woody plants. In North China coast, 83.3% of the plant wax in the severe dust episode samples was from C3 plants while 80.0% for the non-dust samples, indicating that plant wax transported to the northwestern Pacific Ocean by airborne dust from East Asia was mainly from C3 plants. The results suggest that the molecular and molecular-isotopic compositions of individual long-chain n-alkanes can, as an effective indicator, identify the terrestrial organic components in the dust from East Asia and sediments in the northwest Pacific Ocean.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Marine Geosciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China

    Guo Zhigang & Yang Zuosheng

  2. Institute of Geology, Shengli Oil-field Company, Petrochemical Corporation of China, Dongying, 257015, China

    Li Juyuan

  3. Institute for Environment and Sustainable Development, Hong Kong, University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China

    Feng Jialiang & Fang Ming

Authors
  1. Guo Zhigang
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  2. Li Juyuan
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  3. Feng Jialiang
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  4. Fang Ming
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  5. Yang Zuosheng
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Correspondence to Guo Zhigang.

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Guo, Z., Li, J., Feng, J. et al. Compound-specific carbon isotope compositions of individual long-chain n-alkanes in severe Asian dust episodes in the North China coast in 2002. CHINESE SCI BULL 51, 2133–2140 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-006-2071-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-006-2071-7

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