Abstract
Thirty four cascade impactor samples were collected between September 1977 and November 1978 at Chacaltaya, Bolivia. The concentrations of 25 elements were measured for the six impaction stages of each sample by means of energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence and proton-induced X-ray emission analysis. The results indicated that most elements are predominantly associated with a unimodal coarse particle soil dust dispersion component. Also chlorine and the alkali and alkaline earth elements belong to this group. The anomalously enriched elements (S, Br and the heavy metals Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Se, Pb and Bi) showed a bimodal size distribution. Correlation coefficient calculations and principal component analysis indicated the presence in the submicrometer aerosol mode of an important component, containing S, K, Zn, As and Br, which may originate from biomass burning. For certain enriched elements (i.e. Zn and perhaps Cu) the coarse particle enrichments observed may be the result of true crust-air fractionation during soil dust dispersion.
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