Regional Sources and Sinks of Atmospheric Particulate Selenium in the United States Based on Seasonality Profiles

Selenium (Se) is an essential nutrient for humans and enters our food chain through bioavailable Se in soil. Atmospheric deposition is a major source of Se to soils, driving the need to investigate the sources and sinks of atmospheric Se. Here, we used Se concentrations from PM2.5 data at 82 sites from 1988 to 2010 from the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) network in the US to identify the sources and sinks of particulate Se. We identified 6 distinct seasonal profiles of atmospheric Se, grouped by geographical location: West, Southwest, Midwest, Southeast, Northeast, and North Northeast. Across most of the regions, coal combustion is the largest Se source, with a terrestrial source dominating in the West. We also found evidence for gas-to-particle partitioning in the wintertime in the Northeast. Wet deposition is an important sink of particulate Se, as determined by Se/PM2.5 ratios. The Se concentrations from the IMPROVE network compare well to modeled output from a global chemistry-climate model, SOCOL-AER, except in the Southeast US. Our analysis constrains the sources and sinks of atmospheric Se, thereby improving the predictions of Se distribution under climate change.

Automated summary

This study investigated the sources and sinks of atmospheric selenium by analyzing PM2.5 data from 82 sites in the US from 1988 to 2010. Coal combustion was identified as the main source of selenium in most regions, while wet deposition played an important role as a sink. These findings contribute to a better understanding and prediction of selenium distribution under climate change.