[1] The chemical properties of sea-spray aerosol particles produced by artificially generated bubbles using oceanic waters were investigated during a phytoplankton bloom in the North Atlantic. Spray particles exhibited a progressive increase in the organic matter (OM) content from 3 ± 0.4% up to 77 ± 5% with decreasing particle diameter from 8 to 0.125 mm. Submicron OM was almost entirely water insoluble (WIOM) and consisted of colloids and aggregates exuded by phytoplankton. Our observations indicate that size dependent transfer of sea water organic material to primary marine particles is mainly controlled by the solubility and surface tension properties of marine OM. The pattern of WIOM and sea-salt content in the different size intervals observed in bubble bursting experiments is similar to that measured in atmospheric marine aerosol samples collected during periods of high biological activity. The results point to a WIOM/sea-salt fingerprint associated with submicron primary marine aerosol production in biologically rich waters. Citation: Facchini, M. C., et al.

Relevant concentrations of dimethyl- and diethylammonium salts (DMA+ and DEA+) were measured in submicrometer marine aerosol collected over the North Atlantic during periods of high biological activity (HBA) in clean air masses (median concentration (minimum-maximum)=26(6-56) ng m(-3)). Much lower concentrations were measured during periods of low biological activity (LBA): 1 (<0.4-20) ng m(-3) and when polluted air masses were advected to the sampling site: 2 (<0.2-24) ng m(-3). DMA+ and DEA+ are the most abundantorganic species, second only to MSA, detected in fine marine particles representing on average 11% of the secondary organic aerosol (SOA) fraction and a dominant part (35% on average) of the water-soluble organic nitrogen (WSON). Several observations support the hypothesis that DMA+ and DEA+ have a biogenic oceanic source and are produced through the reaction of gaseous amines with sulfuric acid or acidic sulfates. Moreover, the water-soluble fraction of nascent marine aerosol particles produced by bubble-bursting experiments carried out in parallel to ambient aerosol sampling over the open ocean showed WSON, DMA+, and DEA+ concentrations always below the detection limit, thus excluding an important primary sea spray source.