Fungal spores as a source of sodium salt particles in the Amazon basin

Swarup China, Susannah M. Burrows, Bingbing Wang, Tristan H. Harder, Johannes Weis, Meryem Tanarhte, Luciana V. Rizzo, Joel Brito, Glauber G. Cirino, Po-Lun Ma, John Cliff, Paulo Artaxo, Mary K. Gilles and Alexander Laskin ()
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Swarup China: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Susannah M. Burrows: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Bingbing Wang: Xiamen University
Tristan H. Harder: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Johannes Weis: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Meryem Tanarhte: Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
Luciana V. Rizzo: Department of Environmental Sciences, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo
Joel Brito: University of São Paulo
Glauber G. Cirino: Federal University of Para
Po-Lun Ma: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
John Cliff: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Paulo Artaxo: University of São Paulo
Mary K. Gilles: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Alexander Laskin: Purdue University

Nature Communications, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract In the Amazon basin, particles containing mixed sodium salts are routinely observed and are attributed to marine aerosols transported from the Atlantic Ocean. Using chemical imaging analysis, we show that, during the wet season, fungal spores emitted by the forest biosphere contribute at least 30% (by number) to sodium salt particles in the central Amazon basin. Hydration experiments indicate that sodium content in fungal spores governs their growth factors. Modeling results suggest that fungal spores account for ~69% (31–95%) of the total sodium mass during the wet season and that their fractional contribution increases during nighttime. Contrary to common assumptions that sodium-containing aerosols originate primarily from marine sources, our results suggest that locally-emitted fungal spores contribute substantially to the number and mass of coarse particles containing sodium. Hence, their role in cloud formation and contribution to salt cycles and the terrestrial ecosystem in the Amazon basin warrant further consideration.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07066-4

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