ABSTRACT

Twelve metals, Pb-210 and Pu-239+240 were measured over a year's period in atmospheric aerosols collected at La Jolla, California and Ensenada, Baja California. Substantial amounts of the metals in the solid phases are leachable into sea water. During the winter months at La Jolla, lead, nickel and Pb-210 had higher atmospheric concentrations than at other times, suggesting local sources during this period of temperature inversion. Lead and nickel appear to have significant anthropogenic components. Overall, the concentrations of the metals and radionuclides in aerosols are similar to those in other sites of the northern hemisphere. For the southern California coastal region, the atmospheric fluxes of aerosols to the marine environment may govern measurably the metal concentrations in surface waters. On the other hand, these fluxes do not account for the accumulation of metals in the coastal sediments.