Sea water may not be a source of boron in the atmosphere

The concentration of boron in the air equilibrated with sea water at 25°C was experimentally estimated to be 0.019 ng B/l air, a value that was an order of magnitude lower than the boron content found in the atmosphere (0.17 ng B/l). In addition, the boron-water ratio in the air passed over sea water was estimated to be 0.42 / μg B/l condensate, and the boron-water ratio in the air equilibrated with sea water was estimated to be 1.1 / μg B/l condensate. These values were only one-eleventh and one-fourth the excess boron found in the marine precipitation (4.7 / μg B/l). The present results may indicate that boron in the atmosphere is supersaturated with respect to sea water and that the sea is not a source but a sink of boron in the atmosphere.