Attempt to close the mass of size-resolved aerosols at Finokalia Station during the MINOS experiment

J. Sciare1,2, C. Economou3, W. Maenhaut4, R. Sarda-Estève2, F. Gautier2, H. Cachier2 and N. Mihalopoulos3

1 Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Department of Biogeochemistry, Mainz, Germany
2 LSCE, CEA Orme des Merisiers, 91191 Gif/Yvette, France (sciare@lsce.saclay.cea.fr)
3 University of Crete, Environmental Chemical Processes Laboratory (ECPL), 71409 Heraklion, Greece
4 Ghent University (RUG), Dpt Analytical Chemistry , Institute for Nuclear Sciences, Gent, Belgium


In the frame of the MINOS campaign, carbon and ion contents of aerosols were determined every 12 hours from quartz filters and pre-weighted stacked filters, respectively, during July-August 2001 at Finokalia Station (Crete Island). Elemental composition of size-resolved aerosols (11-stage rotating MOUDI) was also determined on a 3-day basis from particle-induced X-ray emission spectrometry and short-irradiation instrumental neutron activation analysis from pre-weighted collection substrates together with ion and carbon analysis (11-stage rotating MOUDI and 13-stage Dekati impactor). This sampling strategy allowed us a close investigation of the different components of submicrometer aerosols. Attempt to close the mass of size-resolved aerosols is presented here and discussed in relation with other aerosol parameters.
Among the results obtained in this study, particulate mass (PM) concentration for submicrometer aerosols was on average 17 µg/m3. Non-sea-salt sulfate represented more 99% of sulfates in this fraction and was identified as the major ionic compound (68% of ion particulate mass). Ion mass represented on average 55% on the particulate mass for these submicrometer aerosols and preliminary results from carbon analysis suggest that total carbon mass (BC + OC) could represent 1/3 of total suspended matter (TSP). Uni-modal distribution of sulfates around 300 nm throughout the campaign underlined the key role of long range transport of anthropogenic aerosols from Central / Eastern Europe.