Volatility of aerosol at Mace Head, on the west coast of Ireland

Volatility measurements were made with a light-scattering counter equipped with a temperature-controlled heated inlet. Representative measurements made over the period of about a year show that the submicrometer particles with radius <0.2 μm are highly volatile for the maritime aerosol and show temperature fractionation features of ammonium sulfate (or ammonium bisulfate). It is estimated that 85-95% of this size fraction (by volume) is composed of these sulfates. For the higher temperatures, temperature-fractionation characteristics of sodium chloride are shown for the supermicron and also the submicron maritime particles. About 80% of the particle size interval of 0.3-1.5 μm radius is composed of sodium chloride. About 5% and 30% (by volume) of the aerosol particles remain involatile at least up to a temperature of 850°C. -from Authors