Asian dust transport of proteinaceous matter from the Gobi Desert to northern China

<p>Asian dust can greatly influence the ecosystem's productivity and biogeochemical cycles by providing new nutrients. However, the transport of proteinaceous matter (combined amino acids, CAAs) by Asian dust to downwind ecosystems remains unclear. Here, the concentrations and <span cl...

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Main Authors: R.-G. Zhu, H.-Y. Xiao, M. Yin, H. Xiao, Z. Zhou, Y. Pan, G. Wei, C. Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2025-07-01
Series:Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Online Access:https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/7699/2025/acp-25-7699-2025.pdf
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author R.-G. Zhu
R.-G. Zhu
H.-Y. Xiao
M. Yin
H. Xiao
Z. Zhou
Y. Pan
G. Wei
C. Liu
author_facet R.-G. Zhu
R.-G. Zhu
H.-Y. Xiao
M. Yin
H. Xiao
Z. Zhou
Y. Pan
G. Wei
C. Liu
author_sort R.-G. Zhu
collection DOAJ
description <p>Asian dust can greatly influence the ecosystem's productivity and biogeochemical cycles by providing new nutrients. However, the transport of proteinaceous matter (combined amino acids, CAAs) by Asian dust to downwind ecosystems remains unclear. Here, the concentrations and <span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>15</sup>N</span> values of individual CAAs in Gobi surface soil and vegetation and in PM<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2.5</sub></span> samples from four cities in northern China were characterized. Proline dominated the total pool of CAAs in urban PM<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2.5</sub></span> during non-dust periods, whereas CAAs transported by Gobi dust were rich in alanine, glycine and glutamic acid. The concentrations and percentages of these three CAAs in PM<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2.5</sub></span> from northern China notably increased during dust periods. During non-dust periods, the <span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>15</sup>N</span> values of individual CAAs in urban PM<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2.5</sub></span> fell within their respective ranges in local urban sources, suggesting CAAs in PM<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2.5</sub></span> were primarily influenced by local urban sources during non-dust periods. Compared to their values in urban PM<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2.5</sub></span> during non-dust periods, glycine and leucine in Gobi Desert sources exhibited <span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>15</sup>N</span> depletion by more than 6 ‰. During dust periods, glycine and leucine in urban PM<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2.5</sub></span> all exhibited negative shifts in their <span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>15</sup>N</span> values, confirming that Gobi dust is a significant source of CAAs in PM<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2.5</sub></span> in northern China. The dry deposition of protein N from Gobi dust was calculated using nitrogen isotopic mass balance based on the <span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>15</sup>N</span> values of glycine and leucine, yielding a value of up to 0.36 <span class="inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M14" display="inline" overflow="scroll" dspmath="mathml"><mrow class="unit"><mi mathvariant="normal">mg</mi><mspace width="0.125em" linebreak="nobreak"/><mi mathvariant="normal">N</mi><mspace width="0.125em" linebreak="nobreak"/><msup><mi mathvariant="normal">m</mi><mrow><mo>-</mo><mn mathvariant="normal">2</mn></mrow></msup><mspace width="0.125em" linebreak="nobreak"/><msup><mi mathvariant="normal">d</mi><mrow><mo>-</mo><mn mathvariant="normal">1</mn></mrow></msup></mrow></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="65pt" height="15pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="787367e437607d26f339866a2c6a9eb0"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="acp-25-7699-2025-ie00001.svg" width="65pt" height="15pt" src="acp-25-7699-2025-ie00001.png"/></svg:svg></span></span>. The rapid accumulation of such considerable protein N quantities may profoundly affect oligotrophic ecosystem productivity.</p>
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spelling doaj-art-7473e76efcd64255b6f2c265357d96dd2025-08-20T03:08:29ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242025-07-01257699771810.5194/acp-25-7699-2025Asian dust transport of proteinaceous matter from the Gobi Desert to northern ChinaR.-G. Zhu0R.-G. Zhu1H.-Y. Xiao2M. Yin3H. Xiao4Z. Zhou5Y. Pan6G. Wei7C. Liu8School of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, ChinaJiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Genesis and Remediation of Groundwater Pollution, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, ChinaSchool of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, ChinaSchool of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, ChinaSchool of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, ChinaSchool of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, ChinaSchool of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, ChinaSchool of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, ChinaSchool of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, China<p>Asian dust can greatly influence the ecosystem's productivity and biogeochemical cycles by providing new nutrients. However, the transport of proteinaceous matter (combined amino acids, CAAs) by Asian dust to downwind ecosystems remains unclear. Here, the concentrations and <span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>15</sup>N</span> values of individual CAAs in Gobi surface soil and vegetation and in PM<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2.5</sub></span> samples from four cities in northern China were characterized. Proline dominated the total pool of CAAs in urban PM<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2.5</sub></span> during non-dust periods, whereas CAAs transported by Gobi dust were rich in alanine, glycine and glutamic acid. The concentrations and percentages of these three CAAs in PM<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2.5</sub></span> from northern China notably increased during dust periods. During non-dust periods, the <span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>15</sup>N</span> values of individual CAAs in urban PM<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2.5</sub></span> fell within their respective ranges in local urban sources, suggesting CAAs in PM<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2.5</sub></span> were primarily influenced by local urban sources during non-dust periods. Compared to their values in urban PM<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2.5</sub></span> during non-dust periods, glycine and leucine in Gobi Desert sources exhibited <span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>15</sup>N</span> depletion by more than 6 ‰. During dust periods, glycine and leucine in urban PM<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2.5</sub></span> all exhibited negative shifts in their <span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>15</sup>N</span> values, confirming that Gobi dust is a significant source of CAAs in PM<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2.5</sub></span> in northern China. The dry deposition of protein N from Gobi dust was calculated using nitrogen isotopic mass balance based on the <span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>15</sup>N</span> values of glycine and leucine, yielding a value of up to 0.36 <span class="inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M14" display="inline" overflow="scroll" dspmath="mathml"><mrow class="unit"><mi mathvariant="normal">mg</mi><mspace width="0.125em" linebreak="nobreak"/><mi mathvariant="normal">N</mi><mspace width="0.125em" linebreak="nobreak"/><msup><mi mathvariant="normal">m</mi><mrow><mo>-</mo><mn mathvariant="normal">2</mn></mrow></msup><mspace width="0.125em" linebreak="nobreak"/><msup><mi mathvariant="normal">d</mi><mrow><mo>-</mo><mn mathvariant="normal">1</mn></mrow></msup></mrow></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="65pt" height="15pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="787367e437607d26f339866a2c6a9eb0"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="acp-25-7699-2025-ie00001.svg" width="65pt" height="15pt" src="acp-25-7699-2025-ie00001.png"/></svg:svg></span></span>. The rapid accumulation of such considerable protein N quantities may profoundly affect oligotrophic ecosystem productivity.</p>https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/7699/2025/acp-25-7699-2025.pdf
spellingShingle R.-G. Zhu
R.-G. Zhu
H.-Y. Xiao
M. Yin
H. Xiao
Z. Zhou
Y. Pan
G. Wei
C. Liu
Asian dust transport of proteinaceous matter from the Gobi Desert to northern China
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
title Asian dust transport of proteinaceous matter from the Gobi Desert to northern China
title_full Asian dust transport of proteinaceous matter from the Gobi Desert to northern China
title_fullStr Asian dust transport of proteinaceous matter from the Gobi Desert to northern China
title_full_unstemmed Asian dust transport of proteinaceous matter from the Gobi Desert to northern China
title_short Asian dust transport of proteinaceous matter from the Gobi Desert to northern China
title_sort asian dust transport of proteinaceous matter from the gobi desert to northern china
url https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/7699/2025/acp-25-7699-2025.pdf
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