The SR-XFA Method Used to Determine the Multi-Element Composition of Arctic Aerosols

Abstract

Studying aerosols in the Arctic zone is not only valid due to climate changes that are most pronounced at high latitudes but plays an important role in the investigation of radiative transfer and mass exchange by chemical compounds in the system «continent — atmosphere — ocean». To study the multi-element composition of aerosols in high-latitude areas is a major issue for identifying the regional and global sources of pollution. The studies were performed by the method of modern high-precision X-ray fluorescence analysis using synchrotron radiation (SR XFA). The selection campaign was conducted in the village of Barentzburg in the Svalbard archipelago from 17.12.2018 to 11.04.2019 using AFA-KhA-20 filters. The SR XFA method using synchrotron radiation, developed in the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, SB RAS, made is possible to determine the concentrations of 22 elements: K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Pb. In addition, it was combined with the data on air mass trajectories in order to determine both the regions from which these elements were transported and the origin of these sources.