Atlantic Transect Measurements of Air and Water Pollutants
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Description
A North-South Atlantic transect study measured concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in aerosol and surface water samples. The SCIOPS organization conducted research cruises from Texel, Netherlands, to Walvis Bay, Namibia, and Cape Town, South Africa. Concentrations of compounds like HCB, 4,4′-DDE, PAHs, and PCNs were quantified in picograms per liter or cubic meter.
Use Cases
Model the air-water exchange gradient for HCB using paired concentration measurements in pg L-1 and pg m-3.
Analyze the latitudinal distribution pattern of PAH concentrations, which were highest near Europe and Africa.
Investigate the diurnal cycle of phenanthrene, 1-methylphenanthrene, and fluoranthene using day/night concentration ratios of ~1.5-2.5:1.
Compare atmospheric 4,4’-DDE concentrations from this study (0.1–0.9 pg m-3) with historical data from April 1990 (1.3–6.3 pg m-3) for trend analysis.
Map the spatial occurrence of polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs), which showed high values off the West African coast and near South Africa.
Strengths
Provides paired air and water concentration measurements for multiple pollutant classes along a major ocean transect.
Reports specific concentration ranges for key pollutants, e.g., HCB from 2 to 9 pg L-1 in water and 56 to 145 pg m-3 in air.
Includes data on an emerging pollutant class (polychlorinated naphthalenes) alongside legacy POPs like PCBs.
Limitations
Exact sample count, row count, and temporal resolution of the cruises are unknown.
Geographic coverage is limited to a specific transect route, not a full basin-wide survey.
Data may be temporally stale if cruises were conducted many years prior to the study's publication.
Provenance
Source
nasa_earthdata, authored by SCIOPS.
Collection Method
Samples collected during oceanographic cruises; pollutants determined via analytical chemistry.
Geography
North-South Atlantic transect from Texel, Netherlands to Walvis Bay, Namibia and Cape Town, South Africa.
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