Trace metals in the Hawaiian marine atmosphere

Approximately 200 atmospheric particulate samples were collected over a 1-year period from a 20-meter-high tower located on a beach on the windward coast of Oahu, Hawaii. About half of these samples are considered to be representative of mid-Pacific air. The particulate matter collected in the samples was analyzed by atomic absorption for Na, Fe, Cu, and Pb and by neutron activation for V, Al, and Mn. Correlation coefficients and elemental ratios were calculated for all the atmospheric metal concentrations to determine interelemental relationships. The primary source of Fe, Al, and Mn in these samples is continental crustal material. However, atmospheric Pb and V in this region is likely due to the long-range transport of anthropogenic material. The source of the atmospheric Cu is uncertain.