Low-molecular-weight organic acids in the Tibetan Plateau: Results from one-year of precipitation samples at the SET station

Background atmospheric organic acids: formic (F), acetic (A), oxalic (O), and methanesulfonic (MSA, abbreviated to M) acids in the southern Tibetan Plateau (TP), were determined in one-year of precipitation measurements at a remote alpine station. These organic acids were dominated by oxalic (volume-weighted mean of 0.51 μmol l−1)/formic acid (0.38 μmol l−1), followed by acetic acid (0.20 μmol l−1) and MSA (0.10 μmol l−1). Their levels were comparable with those from other remote sites, while they were lower than those found in populated areas. The South Asian monsoon is responsible for the seasonal variation of organic acid concentration: a relative abundance of MSA and lower concentrations of other organic acids (by the dilution effect) in the monsoon season, while opposite in the non-monsoon season. Diverse sources were identified by principal component analysis combined with the corresponding tracers. These were anthropogenic disturbances (which explain 41% of the variance), marine emission (24%), and biogenic emission (16%). Moreover, the variances of F/A, M/(F + A), and O/(F + A) in monsoonal versus non-monsoonal samples, were involved with the changes of sources. Furthermore, these chemical indexes suggest that active photochemistry over the TP was significant for the production of organic acids and consequently enhanced the ratios of M/(F + A) and O/(F + A) in monsoonal rainfalls. The elevated organic compounds within the ascending tropical moisture imply potential significances for the secondary formation of organic acids in the high-altitude and the changes of the Asian monsoon.