Origin and degradation of lipids in aeolian particles from a coastal area of the north-western Mediterranean Sea

The lipid content of eight samples of aeolian particles collected on the Frioul Islands (north-western Mediterranean Sea) during the year 2010 was investigated. Lipid analyses indicated a significant contribution of terrestrial higher plant debris to some of the samples, while meat cooking residues were also found. Specific degradation products of sterols and monounsaturated fatty acids were employed to assess the importance of biotic and abiotic degradation processes on land and during aeolian transport. Degradation of higher plant lipids on land appears to involve Type II (i.e., singlet oxygen-mediated) photooxidation during senescence and bacterial degradation processes in soils, while during aeolian transport this terrestrial material mainly undergoes autoxidation and/or Type I (i.e., radical-mediated) photooxidation and is relatively well preserved towards bacterial degradation. In contrast, bacteria play a significant role in the degradation of meat cooking residues in these particles.