Statistical Summary of the Chemical Composition of Atmospheric Aerosol over the Seas of the Eurasian Sector of the Arctic Ocean

A statistical summary of chemical composition of atmospheric aerosol is presented based on the long-term research results obtained in the Eurasian sector of the Arctic Ocean: concentrations of 8 ions, 22 trace elements, organic and elemental carbon (OC, EC), as well as total carbon isotopic composition δ13C. The average aerosol characteristics were obtained: 5.14 μg/m3 for the total ion concentration with a predominant contribution (72%) of Na+ and Cl– ions; 175 ng/m3 for the total concentration of trace elements with a main contribution (70%) of terrigenous elements Fe and Al; 700 ng/m3 for the OC concentration; 32 ng/m3 for the ЕC concentration; and δ13C = –27.9‰ VPDB. High enrichment factors of Cr, Ni, Se, Mo, Sn, Pb, Cu, Zn, As, Ag, and Sb (relative to the composition of the continental crust) are due to their anthropogenic origin. The spatial distribution of concentrations of all ions is characterized by a decrease (3.5 times, on average) from the Norwegian Sea to the Chukchi Sea. The spatial distribution of trace element concentrations was divided into three groups with maxima over the Norwegian, Barents, or Kara seas and a minimum over the Chukchi Sea. Characteristic features of carbon-containing aerosol also tend to change eastward: a decrease in OC and EC and heavier carbon isotopic composition.