Apportionment of sulfur oxides at canyonlands during the winter of 1990 — II. fingerprints of emissions from point and regional sources impacting canyonlands

Abstract

During January-March of 1990 a study was conducted to determine the sources of sulfur oxides present at Canyonlands and Green River, Utah. Samples were collected at these two receptor sites and at several sites intended to characterize the chemical composition of air masses reaching the receptor sites from various geographical regions. The results of the sampling program have been given in the first paper in a series of three papers. In this paper, the concentrations of spherical aluminosilicate (SAS) particles, total fluoride, and particulate selenium, arsenic and lead are combined with meteorological data to obtain source fingerprints for the ratios of these species to SO x , from the various regional sources that can influence the Canyonlands sampling site. The results indicate that the variability in the ratios of these various species to SO x , from the various regional sources is large enough to provide useful input to a receptor based, chemical mass balance source apportionment of SO, at the receptor sites. The chemical mass balance analysis is given in the final paper of this series. The ratio of SAS: SO x , varies by a factor of 25 in emissions from various coal-fired power plants. The concentrations of lead and arsenic relative to sulfur oxides is also variable in emissions from different coal-fired power plants. The ratio of particulate selenium and total fluoride to SO x , in emissions from these coal-fired sources is relatively constant. Emissions from source regions containing smelters are high in Se, As and Pb. Emissions from source regions containing fluoride ore processing industries have a high F Tots;: SO x , ratio.