Surface Predominance of Trace Elements in Airborne Particles

• DOI: 10.1126/science.1251197
• Publication Date: 2006-10-05T15:51:28Z
• Authors: R. W. Linton; A. Loh; D. F. S. Natusch; C. A. Evans; P. Williams
• Keywords: Air Pollutants; Surface Properties; 13. Climate action; 01 natural sciences; Trace Elements; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences

A number of minor and trace elements including Be, C, Ca, Cr, K, Li, Mn, Na, P, Pb, S, Tl, V, and Zn present in coal fly ash are found to be preferentially concentrated on the particle surfaces. Environmentally effective concentrations of these elements are thus much higher than indicated by conventional bulk analyses.