Oxocarboxylic and .alpha.,.omega.-dicarboxylic acids: photooxidation products of biogenic unsaturated fatty acids present in urban aerosols

ω-Oxocarboxylic and α,ω-dicarboxylic acids in the free and salt form have been determined in airborne and near-ground particles in an urban coastal area in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. They range from C 6 to C 26 , with a maximum concentration at C 9 and C 8 . The sum of the concentrations of C 8 and C 9 , ω-oxo- and α,ω-dicarboxylic acids, represents an important proportion (10-36%) of the acidic fraction of aeolian particulates extracts. The compounds C 6 and C 7 are believed to be photooxidation products of anthropogenic cyclic olefins, while those ranging from C 12 to C 26 are considered libely to be of biogenic origin