Seasonal variation of chemical composition of aerosols at Syowa Station, Antarctica in 2001

Antarctic aerosols collected at Syowa Station in 2001 were analyzed to investigate their seasonal variations and long-range transport of anthropogenic aerosols. The measured chemical species were elemental carbon(E.C.) and organic carbon(O.C.) using a combustion technique, SO_4^, NO_3^-, Cl^-, Na^+, NH_4^+, K^+, Ca^ and Mg^ using ion chromatographs, and metals such as Al, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn and Pb using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Total mass concentration of aerosols ranged from 0.366 to 2.72μg/m^3 and increased from winter to spring. The NO_3^- concentration was lower than 0.01μg/m^3 in March-July; in contrast, it was higher than 0.02μg/m^3 in August-November. Concentration of elemental carbon was relatively low in April-June and was high in March, October and November. In October and November, NO_3^- concentration was also high. Therefore, the air mass was possibly affected by biomass burning. The concentration of SO_4^- was low around 0.02μg/m^3 in May-July, and it increased to higher than 0.1μg/m^3 in August-December. The concentrations of Al, V, Co, Ni and Pb were sometimes lower than the detection limits. Nevertheless, spikes of the highest concentrations of V, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn and Pb were recorded in August-October, while V and Fe showed second spikes in March. The enrichment factors of Cr, Ni, Zn and Pb were high during 13-20 September and 12-22 October. The E.C. concentrations in these periods were also relatively higher than before and after the sampling periods. Moreover, blizzards occurred in these periods