Seasonal variations and sources study by way of back trajectories and ANOVA for ambient air pollutants (particulates and metallic elements) within a mixed area at Longjing, central Taiwan: 1-year observation.

Abstract

This study measured the concentrations of particulates and metallic elements in ambient air by using PS-1 sampler (TSP) at Longjing area. And this study focuses on the collection of ambient air particulates, metallic elements, particulate-bound mercury Hg(p), concentrations. In addition, the sources of ambient pollutants by way of back trajectory analysis are found. Moreover, test mean concentration variance differences for metallic elements (PM, Hg(p), Mn, Fe, Zn, Cr, Cu, and Pb) among the four seasons (spring, summer, autumn and winter) through ANOVA are calculated. The result indicates that the average highest particulate concentration occurred in winter season, and the order was winter>spring>autumn>summer, and the mostly highest average metallic element (Mn, Fe, Zn, Cr, Cu, Pb) concentrations occurred in autumn. Moreover, the mostly average lowest metallic element concentrations occurred in summer. In addition, the above results of backward trajectories that the major particulate pollutants parcel mainly come from northeastern Taiwan. Moreover, when comparing the results of the first half year to that of the second half year, the they indicated that all metallic elements displayed significant differences in concentrations except those of Hg(p), Mn, Fe, Zn. Finally, metallic element Hg(p) is the only one which showed no significant concentration difference from either seasonal variations or half-year observations.