Sulfur Isotope Variations in Atmospheric Sulfur Oxides, Particulate Matter and Deposits Collected at Kyushu Island, Japan

• Published in: Water, air, and soil pollution air, and soil pollution, 2001-08, Vol.130 (1-4), p.1775-1780
• Main Authors: Kawamura, Hidehisa, Matsuoka, Nobuaki, Tawaki, Shinji, Momoshima, Noriyuki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Deposition; Deposits; Environmental monitoring; Environmental science; Fossil fuels; Fractionation; Isotope fractionation; Particulate matter; Studies; Sulfates; Sulfur; Sulfur oxides; Sulfur sources
• ISSN: 0049-6979; 1573-2932
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1013932724433

Atmospheric sulfur oxides, particulate matter and deposits (wet and dry deposits) were collected from July 1998 to June 1999 at Kyushu Island, Japan. The isotopic composition of sulfur (δ^sup 34^S) was measured to identify the source of sulfur in the samples. The monthly δ^sup 34^S values were always low in the order of the sulfur oxides, sulfate in particulate matter and deposits. The δ^sup 34^S values of the sulfur oxides ranged from -2.7 [per thousand] to -0.4 [per thousand] and were close to those of fossil fuels used in Japan. The δ^sup 34^S values of sulfate in the particulate matter and deposits correlated with seasalt contribution, so that the δ^sup 34^Snss value was calculated for non-seasalt sulfate. The δ^sup 34^Snss values of sulfate in the particulate matter and deposits trended higher in winter than summer, suggesting the possibility of isotopic fractionation during chemical transformation (SO^sub 2^ to SO^sub 4^^sup 2-^) and of contribution of sulfate derived from sulfur sources with higher δ^sup 34^S values.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]