Sources and health effects of fine and ultrafine aerosol particles in an urban environment

Abstract

The implementation of a liveable urban environment is a challenge for decision makers since cities are typically more and more heavily congested with traffic. The aims of the current study were to characterize relevant sources of particulate matter pollution in an urban greenbelt area in a city of traditional European urban form (Budapest, Hungary) and to evaluate the health effects related to each source. A ten-day-long intensive, wintertime measurement campaign was performed monitoring the particle mass concentration, the size distribution of fine and ultrafine aerosols, the black carbon concentration and the chemical composition of size fractionated particulate matter. An aethalometer model and positive matrix factorization were used to identify and quantify relevant sources. Three of six sources were linked to combustion processes, of which one was identified as fresh traffic emissions and a second as traffic related secondary aerosols (35 nm and 15 nm mode particles, respectively). Biomass combustion originating particles could be identified, with approximately 100 nm size mode and containing elements in the ultrafine size range such as K, Cu, Zn, Br, Pb. Simulations using a Stochastic Lung Model were carried out to study the deposition profiles of particles related to each identified source in the human air passages. Traffic was found to be the most harmful pollution source, and was responsible for 31% of the total number of submicron particles during the wintertime period of the study.