Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The first determination of atmospheric phosphine in Antarctica

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:
Chinese Science Bulletin

Abstract

It is generally thought that phosphine (PH3) concentrations exist at the low ng/m3 level during the night and at the pg/m3 level during daylight in the remote atmosphere of the lower troposphere. The first determination of gaseous PH3 on the Antarctic Millor Peninsula is reported in this paper. No PH3 was detected in the air samples around 10:00 when it was sunny. However, PH3 was found in all the 10:00 air samples when it was cloudy or light snow with the average of 75.3±28.8 ng/m3 (n=5). It was also found in nearly all the samples around 22:00 with the average of 87.2±70.9 ng/m3 (n=11). Atmospheric PH3 concentrations around 22:00 were generally higher than those around 10:00 in January and they were almost the same in February. In addition, PH3 concentrations around 22:00 showed a downtrend with the decreasing air temperature, suggesting that light intensity and air temperature had an important effect on atmospheric PH3 concentration. It is very surprising to have found that high concentrations of PH3 exist in the Antarctic atmosphere under the influence of strong UV-radiation and light intensity. The tentative analyses show that dry, cold and very clean atmosphere may be very suitable for the PH3 survival and cause the concentration to increase and accumulate in the local atmosphere. New approaches for the PH3 formation and the process of atmospheric chemistry may exist under such an extreme environment. Atmospheric PH3 may also be from the emissions of local sources.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Cao Y, Song Y, Sun G Y, et al. Review of toxicology on phosphine. J Zhengzhou Institute Technol (in Chinese), 2002, 23(2): 84–89

    Google Scholar 

  2. Han S H, Zhuang Y H, Zhang H X, et al. Phosphine and methane generation by the addition of organic compounds containing carbonphosphorus bonds into incubated soil. Chemosphere, 2002, 49: 651–657

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Dévai I, Felfoldy L, Wintter I, et al. Detection of phosphine: new aspects of the phosphorus cycle in the hydrosphere. Nature, 1988, 333: 343–345

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Yu Z M, Song X X. Matrix-bound phosphine: A new form of phosphorus found in sediment of Jiaozhou Bay. Chin Sci Bull, 2003, 48(1): 131–135

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Gassmann G, Schorn F. Phosphine from harbor surface sediments. Naturwissenschaften, 1993, 80: 78–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Roles J, Verstraete W. Biological formation of volatile phosphorus compounds. Bioresour Technol, 2001, 79: 243–250

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Niu X J, Geng J J, Wang X R, et al. Temporal and spatial distributions of phosphine in Taihu Lake, China. Sci Total Environ, 2004, 323: 169–178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Han S H, Zhang Y H, Liu J A, et al. Phosphorus cycling through phosphine in paddy field. Sci Total Environ, 2000, 258: 195–203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Cao H F, Liu J A, Zhuang Y H, et al. Emission sources of atmospheric phosphine and simulation of phosphine formation. Sci China Ser B-Chem, 2000, 43(2): 162–168

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Ding L L, Wang X R, Zhu Y X, et al. Effect of pH on phosphine production and the fate of phosphorus during anaerobic process with granular sludge. Chemosphere, 2005, 59(1): 49–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Glindemann D, Bergmann A, Stottmeister, et al. Phosphine in the lower terrestrial troposphere. Naturwissenschaften, 1996, 83: 131–133

    Google Scholar 

  12. Glindemann D, Edwardsa M, Kuschkc P. Phosphine gas in the upper troposphere. Atmos Environ, 2003, 37: 2429–2433

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Liu J A, Cao H F, Zhuang Y H, et al. Phosphine in the urban air of Beijing and its possible Sources. Water Air Soil Pollut, 1999, 116: 597–604

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Liu X D, Sun L G, Xie Z Q, et al. Geochemical evidence for the influence of historical sea bird activities on Mochou lake sediments in the Zhongshan Station area, East Antarctica. Chin J Polar Res (in Chinese), 2004, 16(4): 295–309

    Google Scholar 

  15. Zhu R B, Sun L G, Kong D M, et al. Matrix-bound phosphine in Antarctic biosphere. Chemosphere, 2006, 64: 1429–1435

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Glindemann D, Bergmann A. Spontaneous emission of phosphine from animal slurry treatment processing. Zent bl Hyg Umweltmed, 198(1): 49–56

  17. Gassmann G, Van Beusekom J E E, Glindemann D. Offshore atmospheric phosphine. Naturwissenschaften, 1996, 83(3): 129–131

    Google Scholar 

  18. Sun L G, Xie Z Q, Zhao J L. The sediments of lake on the Ardley Island, Antarctica: Identification of penguin-dropping soil. Chin J Polar Res, 2001, 12(1): 1–8

    Google Scholar 

  19. Sun L G, Xie Z Q, Zhao J L, et al. Monitoring the concentration of N2O in the Fildes Peninsula, Maritime Antarctica. Chin Sci Bull, 2000, 45(21): 2000–2004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Sun L G, Zhu R B, Xie Z Q, Xing G X. Emissions of nitrous oxide and methane from Antarctic tundra: role of penguin dropping deposition. Atmos Environ, 2002, 36: 4977–4982

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Polar Environment, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China

    Zhu RenBin, Kong DeMing & Sun LiGuang

  2. State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China

    Geng JinJu & Wang XiaoRong

Authors
  1. Zhu RenBin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kong DeMing
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sun LiGuang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Geng JinJu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Wang XiaoRong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhu RenBin.

Additional information

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40676005 and 40406001), AAD Science Project 2873 and the Opening Foundation of State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture

About this article

Cite this article

Zhu, R., Kong, D., Sun, L. et al. The first determination of atmospheric phosphine in Antarctica. CHINESE SCI BULL 52, 131–135 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-007-0010-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-007-0010-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation