Authors: François Burgay, Daniil Salionov, Thomas Singer, Anja Eichler, Sabina Brütsch, Theo M. Jenk, Alexander L. Vogel, Tatyana Papina, Saša Bjelić, Margit Schwikowski
Published: 2025-01-24
Source: Full article
Glaciers serve as natural archives for reconstructing past changes of atmospheric aerosol concentration and composition. While most ice-core studies have focused on inorganic species, organic compounds, which can constitute up to 90% of the submicrometer aerosol mass, have been largely overlooked. To our knowledge, this study presents the first nontarget screening record of secondary organic aerosol species preserved in a Belukha ice core (Siberia, Russian Federation), ranging from the pre-industrial to the industrial period (1800–1980 CE). We identified a total of 398 molecules, primarily polar and low-volatile compounds. Since the 1950s, the atmospheric aerosol composition has changed, with the appearance of organic molecules, including nitrogen-containing compounds, deriving from enhanced atmospheric reactions with anthropogenic NO