Pyrogenic iron: Source attribution of atmospheric bioaccessible iron supplied to the Pacific Ocean

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20H04329
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 63010:Environmental dynamic analysis-related
• Research Institution: Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Ito Akinori 国立研究開発法人海洋研究開発機構, 地球環境部門(環境変動予測研究センター), 主任研究員 (00419144)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 宮川 拓真 国立研究開発法人海洋研究開発機構, 地球環境部門(地球表層システム研究センター), 副主任研究員 (30707568)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 人為起源鉄 / 自然起源鉄 / 海洋施肥

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have statistically analyzed observational data from multiple oceans along with atmospheric data from Fukue Island, Goto Islands, Nagasaki Prefecture. The global atmospheric chemical transport model suggested that anthropogenic iron released to the atmosphere with sulfur dioxide via smelting processes plays an important role in supplying dissolved iron to the Southern Ocean due to a lack of effective air pollution countermeasures.
The results of the study reported here indicated that the emission of chemicals to the atmosphere in association with mineral resource development can cause health hazards while also providing nutrients to the marine environment. The study should contribute to future research on marine environmental conservation measures via international collaborations. The results also suggest that improvements are needed to the interactions between the biogeochemistry and climate in the Earth System Model.

Free Research Field

大気化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

今回の研究成果は、新たな知見をもたらすものだけではなく、製錬過程由来の溶存鉄は、エアロゾルの形で大気を通して輸送され、南大洋の海域に供給されている可能性を示した。
製錬過程で排出されるエアロゾルは、大気汚染防止の観点からは排出量を抑制することが重要であるが、その結果が漁獲量の低下をもたらし、深刻な食糧不足を助長するとしたら、そうした点も十分に考慮した上で対策を実施することが必要となる。