Residential Burning Is a Potentially Significant Source of Soluble Iron to the Ocean

Anthropogenic aerosols represent an important source of soluble iron (Fe) to the open ocean, playing a key role in modulating marine primary productivity. However, the solubility of aerosol Fe derived from different anthropogenic sources remains poorly understood. A recent collaborative study by a group of Chinese and American scientists reports that aerosol Fe solubility varies substantially among sources, ranging from 0.03% for power plant coal fly ash to 55.87% for biofuel burning aerosol. Notably, aerosol from residential coal burning exhibits much higher Fe solubility than that from coal-fired power plants. By updating the Fe solubility parameterisation within the Community Earth System Model, the authors demonstrate that anthropogenic combustion currently contributes up to 20% of the global soluble Fe flux to the ocean. Furthermore, they identify residential burning as a previously overlooked yet potentially significant source of soluble aerosol Fe, with regional contributions being as high as 21%.

Reference: Li, R., Plaas, H. E., Zhang, Y., et al. (2026). Residential burning is a potentially significant source of soluble iron to the ocean. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 9037-9060. https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/26/9037/2026/