A study of airborne minerals and associated organic species in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

Deals with a study of the mineralogical and organic components of the monthly dust‐fall deposited over Al Ain city, some 150km east of Abu Dhabi and 130km south‐east of Dubai. The identification of the mineralogical and organic composition was carried out by means of infra‐red spectroscopy. This study reveals that the principal constituents of dustfall, over the studied city are calcite, gypsum, kaolinite, quartz, hematite, alkanes and phosphines. The sources of these constituents are attributed to local controls, both natural and man‐induced