Composition of extractable organic matter of aerosols from the blue mountains and southeast coast of Australia

Extractable organic matter in aerosols from the Australian Blue Mountains and southeastern coast was characterized and compared to a composite sample of the regional vegetation and aerosols collected in New Zealand by Gagosian et al. (1987). The lipid fraction of the aerosols was comprised primarily of n-alkanoic acids, and n-alkanols, with triterpenoids and phytosterols contributing significantly to the signature. Except for one sample, the aerosols were demonstrated to originate mainly from biogenic rather than anthropogenic sources. Two of the aerosol samples correlated well with the n-alkane signature of the plant was extract. The resemblance was less distinct for the n-alkanoic acid and n-alkanol fractions. Of the cyclic terpenoids, only triterpenoids were present in the aerosols. Sesquiterpenoids were found in the plant wax sample but not in the aerosols, most probably due to volatilization. Diterpanes were undetected in both aerosol and wax samples. Based on preliminary comparison, long range transport of these lipids appears to be occurring by the Southern Hemisphere westerlies.