Surfactants in the sea-surface microlayer and atmospheric aerosol around the southern region of Peninsular Malaysia

Jaafar SA 1 , Latif MT 2 , Chian CW 1 , Han WS 1 , Wahid NB 3 , Razak IS 1 Show all authors , Khan MF 4 , Tahir NM 5

Affiliations 

  • 1 School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
  • 2 School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia; Centre for Tropical Climate Change System, Institute for Climate Change (IKLIM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia. Electronic address: talib@ukm.my
  • 3 School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia
  • 4 School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia; Centre for Tropical Climate Change System, Institute for Climate Change (IKLIM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
  • 5 Institute of Oceanography and Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia; Environmental Research Group, School of Marine Science and Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia
Mar Pollut Bull, 2014 Jul 15;84(1-2):35-43.
PMID: 24930738 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.05.047

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the composition of surfactants in the sea-surface microlayer (SML) and atmospheric aerosol around the southern region of the Peninsular Malaysia. Surfactants in samples taken from the SML and atmospheric aerosol were determined using a colorimetric method, as either methylene blue active substances (MBAS) or disulphine blue active substances (DBAS). Principal component analysis with multiple linear regressions (PCA-MLR), using the anion and major element composition of the aerosol samples, was used to determine possible sources of surfactants in atmospheric aerosol. The results showed that the concentrations of surfactants in the SML and atmospheric aerosol were dominated by anionic surfactants and that surfactants in aerosol were not directly correlated (p>0.05) with surfactants in the SML. Further PCA-MLR from anion and major element concentrations showed that combustion of fossil fuel and sea spray were the major contributors to surfactants in aerosol in the study area.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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