Abstract
Xiangtan, South China, is characterized by year-round high relative humidity and very low wind speeds. To assess levels of PM2.5, daily samples were collected from 2016 to 2017 at two urban sites. The mass concentrations of PM2.5 were in the range of 30–217 µg/m3, with the highest concentrations in winter and the lowest in spring. Major water-soluble ions (WSIIs) and total carbon (TC) accounted for 58–59% and 21–24% of the PM2.5 mass, respectively. Secondary inorganic ions (SO42−, NO3−, and NH4+) dominated the WSIIs and accounted for 73% and 74% at the two sites. The concentrations of K, Fe, Al, Sb, Ca, Zn, Mg, Pb, Ba, As, and Mn in the PM2.5 at the two sites were higher than 40 ng/m3, and decreased in the order of winter > autumn > spring. Enrichment factor analysis indicates that Co, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Sb, Tl, and Pb mainly originates from anthropogenic sources. Source apportionment analysis showed that secondary inorganic aerosols, vehicle exhaust, coal combustion and secondary aerosols, fugitive dust, industrial emissions, steel industry are the major sources of PM2.5, contributing 25–27%, 21–22%, 19–21%, 16–18%, 6–9%, and 8–9% to PM2.5 mass.
Highlights
With rapid urbanization and industrialization in China, PM2.5 pollution has become one of the most important atmospheric related environmental issues
The Beijing—Tianjin—Hebei area (BTH), Yangtze River Delta (YRD), Pearl River Delta (PRD), and Sichuan Basin have the highest aerosol pollution levels in China, and many studies have been conducted in these regions to understand the general characteristics of the PM2.5 pollution and its chemical components, formation mechanism, and sources [4,5,6,7,8]
The urban area of Xiangtan is divided by the Xiangjiang River, with the Yuetang and Yuhu Districts located to the east and west of the river, respectively (Figure 1)
Summary
With rapid urbanization and industrialization in China, PM2.5 pollution has become one of the most important atmospheric related environmental issues. The Beijing—Tianjin—Hebei area (BTH), Yangtze River Delta (YRD), Pearl River Delta (PRD), and Sichuan Basin have the highest aerosol pollution levels in China, and many studies have been conducted in these regions to understand the general characteristics of the PM2.5 pollution and its chemical components, formation mechanism, and sources [4,5,6,7,8]. Res. Public Health 2019, 16, 539 x chemical components, formation mechanism, and sources [4,5,6,7,8]. The area area is is an an intermountain basin within a subtropical climate zone and encircled by low and medium height intermountain basin within a subtropical climate zone and encircled by low and medium height hills hills with with higher higher elevations elevations to to the the north, north, west, west, and and south south (Figure (Figure 1) These features features produce produce aa year-round year-round consistently high relative humidity and very low wind speeds.
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