Home – Home – Jornals – Chemistry for Sustainable Development 2002 number 5

Reference-free method of differential dissolution (DD) is used to obtain the data on stoichiometric composition and content of solid phases, including those of variable composition, in the samples of multi-element multiphase atmospheric aerosols. In aerosol sample collected in one of the regions of Novosibirsk, the content of water-soluble fractions (presumably hydrosulphites) of a series of metals was determined, as well as the content of individual calcium phase (presumably carbonate), calcium sulphate phase, and two aluminosilicate phases. In these phases, formed by the major elements comprising aerosol (Si, S, Al, Fe, Mg, Ca, K, Na), the content of a series of admixture elements was determined. For the alkaline-earth elements as example (Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba), the ratios of these elements was determined in the phases formed by the major elements Mg and Ca, and by microelements Sr and Ba. It is concluded that the possibility to obtain detailed quantitative data on the phase composition of aerosols is essentially important in investigating various aspects linked both with the mechanisms of formation and evolution of atmospheric aerosols and with their effect on the status of environment.