Sea Spray Aerosols Contain the Major Component of Human Lung Surfactant
Marine phytoplankton influence the composition of sea spray aerosols (SSAs) by releasing various compounds. The biogenic surfactant dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) is known to accumulate in the sea surface microlayer, but its aerosolization has never been confirmed. We conducted a 1 year SSA sampling campaign at the Belgian coast and analyzed the SSA composition. We quantified DPPC at a median and maximum air concentration of 7.1 and 33 pg m –3 , respectively. This discovery may be of great importance for the field linking ocean processes to human health as DPPC is the major component of... Mehr ...