2-Iodomalondialdehyde is an abundant component of soluble organic iodine in atmospheric wet precipitation.

Abstract Iodine plays an important role in the environment and life. In the atmosphere, iodine is present in the form of inorganic and organic compounds. In this study, we have analyzed atmospheric wet precipitation using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) for the presence of organoiodine compounds and found that the main organoiodine compound in atmospheric waters is 2-iodomalondialdehyde. The structure of this compound is supported by independent synthesis. A plausible mechanism of the formation of 2-iodomalondialdehyde from acrolein, iodine and water in the atmosphere is proposed. Our measurements reveal the presence of ten other organoiodine compounds in atmospheric wet precipitation but their structures remain unknown, mainly due to very low concentrations prohibiting mass spectrometry studies. The results described in this paper enhance our knowledge about the circulation of iodine in nature. It provides insights into the chemical nature of soluble organic iodine, whose presence in the atmosphere has been known for two decades. In addition, it also shows the potential of using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) technique to further explore iodine chemistry in the atmosphere.