Abstract
GROWING concern has been expressed1,2 over the introduction of pollutant trace metals to the oceans through the atmospheric transport of particulates from the continents. Few data exist on the elemental composition of such particulates, and those available are usually from restricted regions3–5. We have carried out a sampling programme6,7 in which particulates have been collected from seawater and from the lower atmosphere (∼ 15 m above the sea surface) over large tracks of the world ocean. The collection details have been described elsewhere6 and the distribution of Pb in Atlantic particulates has been reported7. Here we present data on the average trace metal composition of aeolian particulates from the lower atmosphere of various major wind systems over the World Ocean.
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References
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Chester, R., and Stoner, J. H., Nature (in the press).
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CHESTER, R., STONER, J. Average Trace Element Composition of Low Level Marine Atmospheric Particulates. Nature 246, 138–139 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1038/246138a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/246138a0
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