Chemical Composition Of PM2 Research Articles

Oxidative potential and chemical composition of PM2.5 in office buildings across Europe – The OFFICAIR study

In the frame of the OFFICAIR project, indoor and outdoor PM2.5 samples were collected in office buildings across Europe in two sampling campaigns (summer and winter). The ability of the particles to deplete physiologically relevant antioxidants (ascorbic acid (AA), reduced glutathione (GSH)) in a synthetic respiratory tract lining fluid, i.e., oxidative potential (OP), was assessed. Furthermore, the link between particulate OP and the concentration of the PM constituents was investigated.The mean indoor PM2.5 mass concentration values were substantially lower than the related outdoor values with a mean indoor/outdoor PM2.5 mass concentration ratio of 0.62 and 0.61 for the summer and winter campaigns respectively. The OP of PM2.5 varied markedly across Europe with the highest outdoor OPAA m−3 and OPGSH m−3 (% antioxidant depletion/m3 air) values obtained for Hungary, while PM2.5 collected in Finland exhibited the lowest values. Seasonal variation could be observed for both indoor and outdoor OPAA m−3 and OPGSH m−3 with higher mean values during winter. The indoor/outdoor OPAA m−3 and OPGSH m−3 ratios were less than one with 4 and 17 exceptions out of the 40 cases respectively. These results indicate that indoor air is generally less oxidatively challenging than outdoors. Correlation analysis revealed that trace elements play an important role in determining OP, in particular, the Cu content. Indoor air chemistry might affect OP since weaker correlations were obtained for indoor PM2.5. Our findings also suggest that office workers may be exposed to health relevant PM constituents to a different extent within the same building.

Source apportionment of PM2.5 for supporting control strategies in the Monterrey Metropolitan Area, Mexico

ABSTRACTThe Monterrey Metropolitan Area (MMA) in Northeast Mexico has shown high PM2.5 concentrations since 2003. The data shows that the annual average concentration exceeds from 2 to 3 times the Mexican PM2.5 annual air quality standard of 12 µg/m3. In a previous work we studied the chemical characterization of PM2.5 in two sites of the MMA during the winter season. Among the most important components we found ammonium sulfate and nitrate, elemental and organic carbon, and crustal matter. In this work we present the results of a second chemical characterization study performed during the summer time and the application of the chemical mass balance (CMB) model to determine the source apportionment of air pollutants in the region. The chemical analysis results show that the chemical composition of PM2.5 is similar in both sites and periods of the year. The results of the chemical analysis and the CMB model show that industrial, traffic, and combustion activities in the area are the major sources of primary PM2.5 and precursor gases of secondary inorganic and organic aerosol (SO2, NOx, NH3, and volatile organic compounds [VOCs]). We also found that black carbon and organic carbon are important components of PM2.5 in the MMA. These results are consistent with the MMA emission inventory that reports as major sources of particles and SO2 a refinery and fuel combustion, as well as nitrogen oxides and ammonium from transportation and industrial activities in the MMA and ammonium form agricultural activities in the state. The results of this work are important to identify and support effective actions to reduce direct emissions of PM2.5 and its precursor gases to improve air quality in the MMA. Implications: The Monterrey Metropolitan Area (MMA) has been classified as the most air-polluted area in Mexico by the World Health Organization (WHO). Effective actions need to be taken to control primary sources of PM2.5 and its precursors, reducing health risks on the population exposed and their associated costs. The results of this study identify the main sources and their estimated contribution to PM2.5 mass concentration, providing valuable information to the local environmental authorities to take decisions on PM2.5 control strategies in the MMA.

Saharan dust impact on the chemical composition of PM10 and PM1 samples over south-eastern Italy

Angstrom exponents (A) and dust concentrations from the Barcelona Supercomputing Center-Dust REgional Atmospheric Model (BSC-DREAM) were used to infer the impact of long-range transported desert dust particles at the ground level and evaluate their role on the chemical composition of PM1 and PM10 samples. A values were calculated from the scattering coefficients at 450 and 635 nm, retrieved from integrating nephelometer measurements. Nephelometer measurements were performed at a coastal site (Lecce, 40.33° N, 18.11° E) of south-eastern Italy from December 2011 till November 2012. Days characterized by A daily mean values smaller than 0.95 and modelled daily dust concentrations larger than 0.1 μg m−3 at 86 m above the ground level were considered representative of days affected by African dust particles up to the ground level (dusty days). Both criteria have allowed identifying 86 dusty days during the investigated period. The analysis of 24-h simultaneously collected PM10 and PM1 samples revealed that the PM1 mass concentrations increased linearly with PM10 both in dusty and dust-free days, which were identified as the ones characterized by A daily mean values larger than 1.3 and PM1/PM10 ratios larger than 0.35. These results suggested that the PM1 samples were also affected by desert particles on dusty days. In fact, chemical analyses revealed that the Al and Fe mean mass concentrations were larger in dusty day PM1 and PM10 samples. Then, we found that the crustal matter contribution was nearly twice and more than twice larger in dusty PM1 and PM10 samples, respectively, than in corresponding dust-free samples. Mass contributions of organic and elemental carbon, sulfates, and ammonium even if smaller in dusty samples than in dust-free PM1 and PM10 samples revealed the significant role of the anthropogenic pollution also on dusty days.

Chemical composition of PM2.5 from two tunnels with different vehicular fleet characteristics

The chemical compositions of PM2.5 including OC, EC, water soluble ions, elements, and organic components such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), hopanes, and steranes, emitted in Wuzushan (WZS) and Kuixinglou (KXL) tunnels were determined. WZS tunnel is a major route for diesel vehicles traveling, while KXL tunnel has limited to diesel vehicles. The results showed that the proportions of the different constituents of PM2.5 in the Wuzushan (WZS) tunnel were OC (27.7%), EC (32.1%), elements (13.9%), and water soluble ions (9.2%). Whereas the chemical profile of PM2.5 in the Kuixinglou (KXL) tunnel was OC (17.7%), EC (10.4%), elements (8.90%), and water soluble ions (8.87%). The emission factors (EFs) of PM2.5 and proportions of SO42− and Pb were decreased by vehicle emission standards and fuel quality policy in China, and the higher molecular weight PAHs (4+5+6 rings) were more abundant than the lower molecular weight PAHs (2+3 rings) in the two tunnels. The proportions of 17A(H)-21B(H)-30-Norhopane and 17A(H)-21B(H)-Hopane in the hopane and sterane were not dependent on the vehicles types. In addition, specific composition profiles for PM2.5 from gasoline-fueled vehicles (GV) and diesel-fueled vehicles (DV) emissions were drafted, which indicated that OC (0.974mg·veh−1·km−1) was the most abundant component in PM2.5, followed by Fe, Cl−, and Mg for GV. The relative proportions of the different constituents in the PM2.5 for DV were EC (35.9%), OC (27.2%), elements (12.8%), and water soluble ions (11.7%). Both the PM2.5 EFs and EC proportions in DV were higher than those in GV, and the HMW PAHs were the dominant PAHs for both GV and DV. The PM2.5 emissions from the vehicles in Yantai were 581±513tons to 1353±1197tons for GV, and 19,627±2477tons to 23,042±2887tons for DV, respectively.

Traffic tracers in a suburban location in northern Spain: relationship between carbonaceous fraction and metals.

PM10 and black smoke were monitored at a suburban sampling station located in the northern Spanish city of Gijón. Thirty-two metals and total carbon (TC) (i.e., organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC)) were analyzed over a year. The study of air-mass origin based on 5-day back trajectories was carried out to assess its influence on the recovery data. Different strategies were implemented to infer the influence of traffic in the area. On average, TC accounted for 29 % of the PM10 fraction, with OC forming 77 % of this TC. The influence of traffic was clearly reduced during intense Atlantic advection episodes, when OC and EC decreased up to 0.39 and 0.22 μg C/m3, respectively. In contrast, the highest values were reported during regional episodes, exceeding 10 μg C/m3 of OC and 2 μg C/m3 of EC. The correlation between EC and OC was found to notably improve when considering the days with high traffic flow (from R2 = 0.46 to R2 = 0.74). This pattern was also reproduced by black smoke and EC (from R2 = 0.49 to R2 = 0.59). Cu and Sn were found to be reliable traffic tracers given their high dependence on EC (R2 = 0.82 and R2 = 0.79, respectively). Nevertheless, Sn, Ba, and Sb showed a better correlation with Cu than EC, suggesting a common origin. In the case of Sn, R2 improved from 0.79 to 0.91. The Cu/Sb ratio had a mean value of 6.6 which agrees with diagnostic criterions for brake wear particles. The relationships and ratios between EC, Cu, Sb, Sn, Ba, and Bi pointed out to non-exhaust emissions, playing a significant role in the chemical composition of PM10. Brake wear was presented as the most likely origin for Cu, Sb, and Sn.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11356-015-5955-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Chemical composition of PM10 and its in vitro toxicological impacts on lung cells during the Middle Eastern Dust (MED) storms in Ahvaz, Iran

Reports on the effects of PM10 from dust storm on lung cells are limited. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the chemical composition and in vitro toxicological impacts of PM10 suspensions, its water-soluble fraction, and the solvent-extractable organics extracted from Middle Eastern Dust storms on the human lung epithelial cell (A549). Samples of dust storms and normal days (PM10 < 200 μg m−3) were collected from December 2012 until June 2013 in Ahvaz, the capital of Khuzestan Province in Iran. The chemical composition and cytotoxicity were analyzed by ICP- OES and Lactase Dehydrogenase (LDH) reduction assay, respectively. The results showed that PM10 suspensions, their water-soluble fraction and solvent-extractable organics from both dust storm and normal days caused a decrease in the cell viability and an increase in LDH in supernatant in a dose–response manner. Although samples of normal days showed higher cytotoxicity than those of dust storm at the highest treated dosage, T Test showed no significant difference in cytotoxicity between normal days and dust event days (Pvalue > 0.05). These results led to the conclusions that dust storm PM10 as well as normal day PM10 could lead to cytotoxicity, and the organic compounds (PAHs) and the insoluble particle-core might be the main contributors to cytotoxicity. Our results showed that cytotoxicity and the risk of PM10 to human lung may be more severe during dust storm than normal days due to inhalation of a higher mass concentration of airborne particles. Further research on PM dangerous fractions and the most responsible components to make cytotoxicity in exposed cells is recommended.

Approaches to prevent the patients with chronic airway diseases from exacerbation in the haze weather.

Haze weather is becoming one of the biggest problems in many big cities in China. It triggers both public anxiety and official concerns. Particulate matter (PM) plays the most important role in causing the adverse health effects. Chemical composition of PM2.5 includes primary particles and secondary particles. The toxicological mechanisms of PM2.5 to the human body include the oxidative stress, inflammation and carcinogenesis. Short or long-term exposure to PM (especially PM2.5) can cause a series of symptoms including respiratory symptoms such as cough, wheezing and dyspnea as well as other symptoms. There are positive associations between PM2.5 and mortality due to a number of causes. PM2.5 is considered to contribute to the onset of asthma, the exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in haze weather. Some approaches including outdoor health care, indoor health care and preventive medications can prevent the patients with chronic airway diseases from exacerbations.

Associations Between Fine Particulate Matter Components and Daily Mortality in Nagoya, Japan.

BackgroundSeasonal variation and regional heterogeneity have been observed in the estimated effect of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) mass on mortality. Differences in the chemical compositions of PM2.5 may cause this variation. We investigated the association of the daily concentration of PM2.5 components with mortality in Nagoya, Japan.MethodsWe combined daily mortality counts for all residents aged 65 years and older with concentration data for PM2.5 mass and components in Nagoya from April 2003 to December 2007. A time-stratified case-crossover design was used to examine the association of daily mortality with PM2.5 mass and each component (chloride, nitrate, sulfate, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, ammonium, elemental carbon [EC], and organic carbon [OC]).ResultsWe found a stronger association between mortality and PM2.5 mass in transitional seasons. In analysis for each PM2.5 component, sulfate, nitrate, chloride, ammonium, potassium, EC, and OC were significantly associated with mortality in a single-pollutant model. In a multi-pollutant model, an interquartile range increase in the concentration of sulfate was marginally associated with an increase in all-cause mortality of 2.1% (95% confidence interval, −0.1 to 4.4).ConclusionsThese findings suggest that some specific PM components have a more hazardous effect than others and contribute to seasonal variation in the health effects of PM2.5.

Characteristics of Haze Pollution Episodes and Analysis of a Typical Winter Haze Process in Shanghai

ABSTRACTOne-year field campaign was conducted from July 2013 to August 2014 at the site of East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST) in urban Shanghai, and mass concentrations and chemical compositions of PM2.5 were measured. Gaseous pollutants (SO2, NO2) and meteorological parameters (wind speed, wind direction, pressure, temperature and relative humidity) were simultaneously obtained. In this study, PM2.5 mass balances on haze and non-haze days were reconstructed and the sum of secondary inorganic aerosols (SIA) and organic matter (OM) accounted for over 80%. The fraction of nitrate in SIA was much higher on haze days than that on non-haze days, while the corresponding fraction of ammonium was lower, implying that the variations of the sources and formation processes of SIA on haze days. In theory, sulfate and nitrate might be almost fully neutralized by ammonium. Moreover, the sulfur oxidation ratio (SOR) values were much higher than the nitrogen oxidation ratio (NOR) values, indicating the greater oxidation capacity of SO2 would occur. On haze days, the high NOR values could be explained by the relatively low temperature, the high NO2 concentration and the potential dominant gas-phase reaction. As for secondary organic aerosol (SOA), the formation processes were usually associated with nitrate formation. In winter, haze pollution episodes occurred more frequently than those in other seasons, associated with the different features of wind speed, wind direction and 72-h backward trajectory. In addition, one case from 17 November 2013 to 4 January 2014 was selected to investigate the formation mechanism of haze pollution episodes. The key factors that affected the haze formation might be the local stable synoptic conditions including weak surface wind, surface temperature inversion and high relative humidity, the long-range transportations from the Northwest and the large amounts of emissions from local sources.

Chemical Compositions of PM2.5 at Two Non-Urban Sites from the Polluted Region in Europe

The study presents the analysis of measurement results for the ambient mass concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM_(2.5)), PM_(2.5)-bound carbonaceous matter (OC, EC) and water-soluble ions (Cl^-, NO3^-, SO_4^(2-), Na^+, NH_4^+, K^+, Ca^(2+), Mg^(2+)). The 24-h PM_(2.5) samples were collected in the heating and non-heating seasons at two regional background sites in Southern Poland in 2011-2013. The percentage of the secondary organic and inorganic matter in PM_(2.5) was calculated. Over the whole measurement period, the mean PM_(2.5) concentration was 31.56 μg m^(-3) and 24.92 μg m^(-3) in Raciborz and Zloty Potok, respectively. Regardless of the season, the total carbon percentage in PM_(2.5) was comparable at both sites and amounted ~40%. There were no visible seasonal variations in the secondary organic carbon (SOC) share in PM_(2.5). The mean percentage of the primary organic carbon (POC) in PM_(2.5) was higher than the SOC percentage at both locations. The mean contribution of the water-soluble ions in the PM_(2.5) mass was lower than the TC percentage, with values 20.35% (Zloty Potok) and 33.56% (Raciborz). The total share of the secondary ions (SO_4^(2-), NO_3^- and NH_4^+) in PM_(2.5) was comparable in both measurement periods. It was shown that PM_(2.5) at regional background sites in Southern Poland is significantly different than at similar stations across Europe. It is reflected by higher concentrations of PM_(2.5) and its main components and lower percentage of the secondary ions in the PM_(2.5) mass. The carbonaceous matter percentage in PM_(2.5) is higher than in other parts of Europe.

Chemical Composition of PM2.5 and its Impact on Visibility in Guangzhou, Southern China

A one-year field experiment was conducted in 2013 at an urban and suburban site in Guangzhou, Southern China to study the chemical compositions of PM_(2.5) and reconstruct the IMPROVE Algorithm to investigate the impact of aerosol components on visibility. Annual average PM_(2.5) mass concentration was 61.3 ± 27.6 and 54.2 ± 29.7 μg m^(-3) at the urban and suburban site, with organic matter (OM), sulfate (SO_4^(2-)), and nitrate (NO_3^-) among the dominant components, accounting for 40.3%, 16.3%, and 8.0% of the PM_(2.5) mass concentration respectively. Based on the modified IMPROVE Algorithm, the localized Mass Scattering Efficiencies (MSE) for sulfate and nitrate was obtained, with values of 2.16 ± 0.34 m^2 g^(-1) and 2.63 ± 0.66 m^2 g^(-1) at urban site and 2.22 ± 0.31 m^2 g^(-1) and 2.76 ± 0.84 m^2 g^(-1) at suburban site. Hygroscopic growth factors (Gf) for OM and EC were also taken into consideration with average values of 1.28 ± 0.13 m^2 g^(-1) and 1.15 ± 0.11 m^2 g^(-1) at the urban site and 1.18 ± 0.09 m^2 g^(-1) and 1.10 ± 0.09 m^2 g^(-1) at the suburban site. The estimated total light extinction coefficient was 294.7 ± 106.9 and 255.8 ± 119.0 Mm^(-1) at the urban and suburban site, with OM, SO_4^(2-) and NO_3^- contributing 41.7%, 16.5% and 11.5% at the urban site, and 42.1%, 21.3% and 9.1% at the suburban site. Secondary water-soluble ions and OM as a whole was becoming increasingly vital under polluted conditions, with nitrate in particular being more important under heavily polluted conditions in Guangzhou.

The mercury species and their association with carbonaceous compositions, bromine and iodine in PM2.5 in Shanghai.

PM2.5 samples were collected in south Shanghai from November 2013 to October 2014. The species of particulate bounded mercury (PBM), including hydrochloric soluble particle-phase mercury (HPM), element soluble particle-phase mercury (EPM) and residual soluble particle-phase mercury (RPM), were determined in PM2.5. The chemical composition of PM2.5 including organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC), total bromine and iodine were also analyzed. The results showed that the annual average concentration of PBM was 0.30 ± 0.31 ng m(-3) and 0.34 ± 0.32 ng m(-3) in winter, 0.31 ± 0.19 ng m(-3) in spring, 0.30 ± 0.45 ng m(-3) in fall and 0.28 ± 0.17 ng m(-3) in summer. HPM took the highest fraction 51.2% in PBM, followed by RPM 27.7% and EPM 21.1%. EC positively correlated to particle mercury, especially in winter (r = 0.70), the same for OC in winter (r = 0.72), which indicated that the carbonaceous composition may affect the transformation of Hg in the atmosphere. Mercury species showed different correlations with bromine and iodine in the four seasons. The strongest correlation between bromine, iodine and mercury was found in spring and fall, respectively. Bromine showed the stronger correlation with total mercury and speciated particle mercury than iodine. In addition, the days were classified into haze and non-haze days based on the visibility and relative humidity, while the ratio of HPM in haze days was much higher than that in non-haze days. EC strongly correlated with PBM during haze and non-haze days while OC only positively correlated with PBM in non-haze days, this may indicate that the different carbonaceous part may affect PBM differently.

Factors controlling air quality in different European subway systems

Sampling campaigns using the same equipment and methodology were conducted to assess and compare the air quality at three South European subway systems (Barcelona, Athens and Oporto), focusing on concentrations and chemical composition of PM2.5 on subway platforms, as well as PM2.5 concentrations inside trains. Experimental results showed that the mean PM2.5 concentrations widely varied among the European subway systems, and even among different platforms within the same underground system, which might be associated to distinct station and tunnel designs and ventilation systems. In all cases PM2.5 concentrations on the platforms were higher than those in the urban ambient air, evidencing that there is generation of PM2.5 associated with the subway systems operation. Subway PM2.5 consisted of elemental iron, total carbon, crustal matter, secondary inorganic compounds, insoluble sulphate, halite and trace elements. Of all metals, Fe was the most abundant, accounting for 29–43% of the total PM2.5 mass (41–61% if Fe2O3 is considered), indicating the existence of an Fe source in the subway system, which could have its origin in mechanical friction and wear processes between rails, wheels and brakes. The trace elements with the highest enrichment in the subway PM2.5 were Ba, Cu, Mn, Zn, Cr, Sb, Sr, Ni, Sn, Co, Zr and Mo. Similar PM2.5 diurnal trends were observed on platforms from different subway systems, with higher concentrations during subway operating hours than during the transport service interruption, and lower levels on weekends than on weekdays. PM2.5 concentrations depended largely on the operation and frequency of the trains and the ventilation system, and were lower inside the trains, when air conditioning system was operating properly, than on the platforms. However, the PM2.5 concentrations increased considerably when the train windows were open. The PM2.5 levels inside the trains decreased with the trains passage in aboveground sections.

PM chemical composition and oxidative potential of the soluble fraction of particles at two sites in the urban area of Milan, Northern Italy

Abstract Recent epidemiological evidence support the hypothesis that health effects from inhalation of air particles are governed by more than just particle mass, since specific chemical components have been identified as important contributors to mortality and hospitality admissions. We studied the chemical composition and the oxidative potential (OP) of total suspended particle (TSP) samples from Milan at two sites with different traffic loads: a site in the low emission zone (LEZ) and a traffic site (TR) outside. Two a-cellular assays; dithiothreitol (OPDTT) and 2′,7' dichlorofluorescin (OPDCFH) were used to characterize the OP of the soluble fraction of particles. TSP samples from LEZ showed significantly lower concentrations of traffic-related chemical components compared to TR. The decrease in the concentrations from TR to LEZ was maximum for EC, with a LEZ/TR ratio of 0.64 (±0.18), and a significant reduction (p OP measures, expressed as OP/m3 or OP/mg, were comparable between sites both for OPDTT and OPDCFH, thus not showing any significant impact of local traffic on OP values at sites. OPDTT and OPDCFH showed contrasting seasonal and daily trends, indicating that the two a-cellular assays gave complementary information on the OP of particles in Milan. The two OP assays resulted to be sensitive to different chemical properties of PM samples. OPDTT correlated positively only with Global Radiation (Spearman's rs = 0.38, p

Characterization of PM&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;10&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; sources in the central Mediterranean

Abstract. The Mediterranean Basin atmosphere is influenced by both strong natural and anthropogenic aerosol emissions and is also subject to important climatic forcings. Several programs have addressed the study of the Mediterranean basin; nevertheless important pieces of information are still missing. In this framework, PM10 samples were collected on a daily basis on the island of Lampedusa (35.5° N, 12.6° E; 45 m a.s.l.), which is far from continental pollution sources (the nearest coast, in Tunisia, is more than 100 km away). After mass gravimetric measurements, different portions of the samples were analyzed to determine the ionic content by ion chromatography (IC), the soluble metals by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), and the total (soluble + insoluble) elemental composition by particle-induced x-ray emission (PIXE). Data from 2007 and 2008 are used in this study. The Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model was applied to the 2-year long data set of PM10 mass concentration and chemical composition to assess the aerosol sources affecting the central Mediterranean basin. Seven sources were resolved: sea salt, mineral dust, biogenic emissions, primary particulate ship emissions, secondary sulfate, secondary nitrate, and combustion emissions. Source contributions to the total PM10 mass were estimated to be about 40 % for sea salt, around 25 % for mineral dust, 10 % each for secondary nitrate and secondary sulfate, and 5 % each for primary particulate ship emissions, biogenic emissions, and combustion emissions. Large variations in absolute and relative contributions are found and appear to depend on the season and on transport episodes. In addition, the secondary sulfate due to ship emissions was estimated and found to contribute by about one-third to the total sulfate mass. Results for the sea-salt and mineral dust sources were compared with estimates of the same contributions obtained from independent approaches, leading to an estimate of the water content bound to the sea salt in the marine source.

Concentrations, correlations and chemical species of PM2.5/PM10 based on published data in China: Potential implications for the revised particulate standard.

Particulate matter (PM) has been of great concern in China due to the increasing haze pollution in recent years. In 2012, the Chinese national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) was amended with a "more strict" regulation on the PM concentrations, i.e., 35 and 70 µg/m(3) for annual PM2.5 and PM10 averages, respectively (Grade-Ⅱ, GB3095-2012). To evaluate the potential of China to attain such new NAAQS and provide a more generalized chemical profile of PM in China, a comprehensive statistical analysis was carried out based on the published data of parallel PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentrations and chemical compositions of PM2.5 and PM10. The results show that most of the measured concentrations far exceed the new NAAQS. PM2.5 and PM10 show a strong positive correlation (R(2) = 0.87, p < 0.01) with PM2.5 accounting for about 65% of PM10, suggesting that the abatement of PM2.5 is crucial for reducing PM pollution and hence improving air quality in China. Organic carbon (OC), sulfate and crustal species are the three major components of PM. The NO3(-)/SO4(2-) ratios are 0.43 ± 0.26 in PM2.5 and 0.56 ± 0.29 in PM10, and the OC/EC ratios are 3.63 ± 1.73 in PM2.5 and 4.17 ± 2.09 in PM10, signifying that the stationary emissions from coal combustion remain the main PM source. An evaluation of PM2.5 situation in current China was carried out and the results show that it would take about 27 years to meet the limit value of 35 µg/m(3) in the revised standard, implying a rigorous challenge in PM2.5 control in China in the future.

Receptor modelling of both particle composition and size distribution from a background site in London, UK

Abstract. Positive matrix factorisation (PMF) analysis was applied to PM10 chemical composition and particle number size distribution (NSD) data measured at an urban background site (North Kensington) in London, UK, for the whole of 2011 and 2012. The PMF analyses for these 2 years revealed six and four factors respectively which described seven sources or aerosol types. These included nucleation, traffic, urban background, secondary, fuel oil, marine and non-exhaust/crustal sources. Urban background, secondary and traffic sources were identified by both the chemical composition and particle NSD analysis, but a nucleation source was identified only from the particle NSD data set. Analysis of the PM10 chemical composition data set revealed fuel oil, marine, non-exhaust traffic/crustal sources which were not identified from the NSD data. The two methods appear to be complementary, as the analysis of the PM10 chemical composition data is able to distinguish components contributing largely to particle mass, whereas the number particle size distribution data set – although limited to detecting sources of particles below the diameter upper limit of the SMPS (604 nm) – is more effective for identifying components making an appreciable contribution to particle number. Analysis was also conducted on the combined chemical composition and NSD data set, revealing five factors representing urban background, nucleation, secondary, aged marine and traffic sources. However, the combined analysis appears not to offer any additional power to discriminate sources above that of the aggregate of the two separate PMF analyses. Day-of-the-week and month-of-the-year associations of the factors proved consistent with their assignment to source categories, and bivariate polar plots which examined the wind directional and wind speed association of the different factors also proved highly consistent with their inferred sources. Source attribution according to the air mass back trajectory showed, as expected, higher concentrations from a number of source types in air with continental origins. However, when these were weighted according to their frequency of occurrence, air with maritime origins made a greater contribution to annual mean concentrations.

Chemical composition of PM2.5 at a high–altitude regional background site over Northeast of Tibet Plateau

Aerosol samples were collected from a site near Qinghai Lake (QHL) on the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) to investigate PM2.5 mass levels and chemical composition, especially their seasonal patterns and sources. The PM2.5 ranged from 5.7 to 149.7μg m–3, and it was predominately crustal material (-40% on average). The combined mass of eight water–soluble inorganic ions ranged from 1.0 to 41.5μg m–3, with the largest contributions from SO42– NO3-, and Ca2+. Low abundances of organic carbon (OC, range: 1.0 to 8.2μg m–3) and elemental carbon (EC, 0.2 to 2.3μg m–3) were found in QHL. Weak seasonality in the OC/EC ratio (4.5±2.0) indicated simple and stable sources for carbonaceous particles. The water–soluble ions, OC and EC accounted for ~30%, 10% and 2% of the PM2.5, respectively. Water–soluble organic carbon (WSOC, range: 0.5 to 4.3μg m–3) accounted for 47.8% of the OC. Both OC and WSOC were positively correlated with water–soluble K+(r=0.70 and 0.73 respectively), an indicator of biomass burning. Higher WSOC and stronger correlations between WSOC and EC in spring and winter compared with summer and autumn are evidence for primary biomass burning aerosols. The concentrations of mass and major compositions were 2–10 times higher than those for some TP or continental background sites but much lower than urban areas. Compared with particles produced from burning yak dung (a presumptive source material), PM2.5 had higher SO42–/OC ratios. The higher ratios were presumed as a result of fossil fuel combustion. After excluding data for dust storms events, the relative percentages of OM, EC, K+, NH4+, NO3– and mineral dust showed little difference among seasons despite different monsoons dominated in four seasons; implying that the PM2.5 sources were relatively stable. The results from QHL evidently reflect regional cha racteristics of the aerosol.

Chemical characterization of indoor and outdoor fine particulate matter in an occupied apartment in Rome, Italy.

The daily concentration and chemical composition of PM2.5 was determined in indoor and outdoor 24-h samples simultaneously collected for a total of 5weeks during a winter and a summer period in an apartment sited in Rome, Italy. The use of a specifically developed very quiet sampler (<35dB) allowed the execution of the study while the family living in the apartment led its normal life. The indoor concentration of PM2.5 showed a small seasonal variation, while outdoor values were much higher during the winter study. Outdoor sources were found to contribute significantly to indoor PM concentration especially during the summer, when the apartment was naturally ventilated by opening the windows. During the winter the infiltration of outdoor PM components was lower and mostly regulated by the particle dimensions. Organics displayed In/Out ratios higher than unity during both periods; their indoor production increased significantly during the weekends, where the family stayed mostly at home. PM components were grouped into macrosources (soil, sea, secondary inorganics, traffic, organics). During the summer the main contributions to outdoor PM2.5 came from soil (30%), secondary inorganics (29%) and organics (22%). Organics dominated both indoor PM2.5 during the summer (60%) and outdoor and indoor PM2.5 during the winter (51% and 66%, respectively).

Temporal variability of atmospheric particulate matter and chemical composition during a growing season at an agricultural site in northeastern China

This study presents the observations of PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations at an agricultural site from April to October 2012 in Dehui city, China. Ambient air was sampled by filter-based samplers and online PM monitors. The filter samples were analyzed to determine the abundance of ionic/inorganic elements, organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC). The daily PM10 concentrations varied significantly over the monitoring period, with an average of 168±63 (in the range of 52–277)μg/m3 during the land preparation/planting period (26 April–15 June), 85±65 (36–228)μg/m3 during the growing season (16 June–25 September), and 207±88 (103–310)μg/m3 during the harvest period (26 September–31 October). PM2.5 accounted for 44%, 56% and 66% of atmospheric PM10 during these periods, respectively. The PM10 diurnal variation showed a distinct peak from 16:00 to 21:00 (LST) during the growing and harvesting seasons, while a gradual increase throughout the daytime until 17:00 was observed during tilling season. Mineral dust elements (Al, Ca, Fe, and Mg) dominated the PM10 chemical composition during the tilling season; OC, NO3−, SO42− and NH4+ during the growing season; and carbonaceous species (i.e., OC and EC) during the harvesting season. Our results indicate that the soil particles emitted by farm tillage and organic matter released from straw burning are the two most significant sources of PM10 emissions contributing to the recurring high pollution events in this region. Therefore, development of agricultural PM inventories from soil tillage and straw burning is prioritized to support air quality modeling.