Stable bromine isotopic composition of atmospheric CH3Br

Axel Horst; Brett F. Thornton; Henry Holmstrand; Per Andersson; Patrick M. Crill; Örjan Gustafsson

doi:10.3402/tellusb.v65i0.21040

Stable bromine isotopic composition of atmospheric CH3Br

Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology

Volume 65 (2013): Issue 1

By: Axel Horst, Brett F. Thornton, Henry Holmstrand, Per Andersson, Patrick M. Crill and Örjan Gustafsson

Open Access

|Jan 2013

Abstract

Tropospheric methyl bromide (CH₃Br) is the largest source of bromine to the stratosphere and plays an important role in ozone depletion. Here, the first stable bromine isotope composition (δ⁸¹Br) of atmospheric CH₃Br is presented. The δ⁸¹Br of higher concentration Stockholm samples and free air subarctic Abisko samples suggest a source/background value of −0.04±0.28‰ ranging up to +1.75±0.12‰. The Stockholm δ⁸¹Br versus concentration relationship corresponds to an apparent isotope enrichment factor of −4.7±3.7‰, representing the combined reaction sink. This study demonstrates the scientific potential of atmospheric δ⁸¹Br measurements, which in the future may be combined with other isotope systems in a top-down inverse approach to further understand key source and sink processes of methyl bromide.

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Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusb.v65i0.21040 | Journal eISSN: 1600-0889

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Language: English

Page range: 21040 - 21040

Submitted on: Apr 4, 2013

Accepted on: Aug 20, 2013

Published on: Jan 1, 2013

Published by: Stockholm University Press

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Keywords:

tropospheric methyl bromide,

Arctic,

© 2013 Axel Horst, Brett F. Thornton, Henry Holmstrand, Per Andersson, Patrick M. Crill, Örjan Gustafsson, published by Stockholm University Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 65 (2013): Issue 1