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Sources and Composition of Ambient Particulate Matter
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Sources and Composition of Ambient Particulate Matter

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Air Quality".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2020) | Viewed by 42567

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Manousos-Ioannis Manousakas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
Interests: atmospheric pollution; aerosols; chemical characterization; source apportionment; PMF
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Research related to ambient particulate matter (PM) remains very relative today, due to the adverse effects PM have on human health. PM are pollutants with varying chemical composition and may originate from many different emission sources, which directly affects their toxicity. To formulate effective control and mitigation strategies, it is necessary to identify PM sources and estimate their influence on ambient PM concentration, a process that is known as source apportionment (SA). Depending on the geographical location and characteristics of an area, many anthropogenic and natural sources may contribute to PM concentration levels, such as dust resuspension, sea salt, traffic, secondary aerosol formation (both organic and inorganic), industrial emissions, ship emissions, biomass burning, power plant emissions, etc.

Different methodological approaches have been used over recent years to study the aforementioned topics, but some scientific challenges remain, mainly related to the subjects of real-time chemical analysis and SA, uncertainty estimation of SA results, and analytical optimization for PM samples. Additionally, there are areas in the world for which results regarding the composition and sources of PM are still scarce.
Manuscripts on all aspects of PM chemical characterization and source apportionment, regarding the inorganic and/or organic fraction of PM, are welcome for this Special Issue.

Dr. Manousos-Ioannis Manousakas
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • PM composition
  • chemical characterization
  • analytical techniques
  • source apportionment
  • PMF

Published Papers (15 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 186 KiB  
Editorial
Special Issue Sources and Composition of Ambient Particulate Matter
by Manousos-Ioannis Manousakas
Atmosphere 2021, 12(4), 462; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos12040462 - 07 Apr 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1094
Abstract
Research related to ambient particulate matter (PM) remains very relative today due to the adverse effects PM have on human health [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sources and Composition of Ambient Particulate Matter)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

14 pages, 2287 KiB  
Article
First-Time Source Apportionment Analysis of Deposited Particulate Matter from a Moss Biomonitoring Study in Northern Greece
by Chrysoula Betsou, Evangelia Diapouli, Evdoxia Tsakiri, Lambrini Papadopoulou, Marina Frontasyeva, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis and Alexandra Ioannidou
Atmosphere 2021, 12(2), 208; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos12020208 - 04 Feb 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2449
Abstract
Moss biomonitoring is a widely used technique for monitoring the accumulation of trace elements in airborne pollution. A total of one hundred and five samples, mainly of the Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw. moss species, were collected from the Northern Greece during the 2015/2016 European [...] Read more.
Moss biomonitoring is a widely used technique for monitoring the accumulation of trace elements in airborne pollution. A total of one hundred and five samples, mainly of the Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw. moss species, were collected from the Northern Greece during the 2015/2016 European ICP Vegetation (International Cooperative Program on Effects of Air Pollution on Natural Vegetation and Crops) moss survey, which also included samples from the metalipherous area of Skouries. They were analyzed by means of neutron activation analysis, and the elemental concentrations were determined. A positive matrix factorization (PMF) model was applied to the results obtained for source apportionment. According to the PMF model, five sources were identified: soil dust, aged sea salt, road dust, lignite power plants, and a Mn-rich source. The soil dust source contributed the most to almost all samples (46% of elemental concentrations, on average). Two areas with significant impact from anthropogenic activities were identified. In West Macedonia, the emissions from a lignite power plant complex located in the area have caused high concentrations of Ni, V, Cr, and Co. The second most impacted area was Skouries, where mining activities and vehicular traffic (probably related to the mining operations) led to high concentrations of Mn, Ni, V, Co, Sb, and Cr. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sources and Composition of Ambient Particulate Matter)
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15 pages, 5779 KiB  
Article
Source Apportionment and Assessment of Air Quality Index of PM2.5–10 and PM2.5 in at Two Different Sites in Urban Background Area in Senegal
by Moustapha Kebe, Alassane Traore, Manousos Ioannis Manousakas, Vasiliki Vasilatou, Ababacar Sadikhe Ndao, Ahmadou Wague and Konstantinos Eleftheriadis
Atmosphere 2021, 12(2), 182; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos12020182 - 29 Jan 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2907
Abstract
Identifying the particulate matter (PM) sources is an essential step to assess PM effects on human health and understand PM’s behavior in a specific environment. Information about the composition of the organic or/and inorganic fraction of PM is usually used for source apportionment [...] Read more.
Identifying the particulate matter (PM) sources is an essential step to assess PM effects on human health and understand PM’s behavior in a specific environment. Information about the composition of the organic or/and inorganic fraction of PM is usually used for source apportionment studies. In this study that took place in Dakar, Senegal, the identification of the sources of two PM fractions was performed by utilizing data on the elemental composition and elemental carbon content. Four PM sources were identified using positive matrix factorization (PMF): Industrial emissions, mineral dust, traffic emissions, and sea salt/secondary sulfates. To assess the effect of PM on human health the air quality index (AQI) was estimated. The highest values of AQI are approximately 497 and 488, in Yoff and Hlm, respectively. The spatial location of the sources was investigated using potential source contribution function (PSCF). PSCF plots revealed the high effect of transported dust from the desert regions to PM concentration in the sampling site. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first source apportionment study on PM fractions published for Dakar, Senegal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sources and Composition of Ambient Particulate Matter)
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11 pages, 1215 KiB  
Article
Differentiation of the Athens Fine PM Profile during Economic Recession (March of 2008 Versus March of 2013): Impact of Changes in Anthropogenic Emissions and the Associated Health Effect
by Styliani Pateraki, Kyriaki-Maria Fameli, Vasiliki Assimakopoulos, Kyriaki Bairachtari, Alexandros Zagkos, Theodora Stavraka, Aikaterini Bougiatioti, Thomas Maggos and Nikolaos Mihalopoulos
Atmosphere 2020, 11(10), 1121; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos11101121 - 19 Oct 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1789
Abstract
Despite the various reduction policies that have been implemented across Europe in the past few years, Particulate Matter (PM) exceedances continue to be recorded. Therefore, with the principal aim to clarify the complex association between emissions and fine particles levels, this work evaluates [...] Read more.
Despite the various reduction policies that have been implemented across Europe in the past few years, Particulate Matter (PM) exceedances continue to be recorded. Therefore, with the principal aim to clarify the complex association between emissions and fine particles levels, this work evaluates the impact of the anthropogenic contribution to the fine PM chemical profile. The fieldwork was conducted during March in 2008 and 2013 and covers the periods before and during the economic recession. The experimental data were analyzed in parallel with the emissions from the Flexible Emission Inventory for Greece and the Greater Athens Area (FEI-GREGAA). The differentiation of the mass closure results’ and the aerosols’ character is also discussed in combination with the calculated PM2.5-Air Quality Indexes. The peak in the PM load and the Particulate Organic Matter (POM) component was recorded in 2013, corresponding to the enhancement of the anthropogenic input. Although the monitoring location is traffic-impacted, the sector of heating, from both wood burning and fossil fuel, proved to be the driving force for the configuration of the obtained PM picture. Especially in 2013, its contribution was two times that of traffic. Finally, the low wind speed values led to the deterioration of the air quality, especially for the sensitive groups. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sources and Composition of Ambient Particulate Matter)
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13 pages, 1280 KiB  
Article
Seasonal Variation in the Chemical Composition and Oxidative Potential of PM2.5
by Alex Vinson, Allie Sidwell, Oscar Black and Courtney Roper
Atmosphere 2020, 11(10), 1086; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos11101086 - 13 Oct 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2485
Abstract
Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has well-established systemic human health effects due in part to the chemical components associated with these exposures. Oxidative stress is a hypothesized mechanism for the health effects associated with PM2.5 exposures. The oxidative potential [...] Read more.
Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has well-established systemic human health effects due in part to the chemical components associated with these exposures. Oxidative stress is a hypothesized mechanism for the health effects associated with PM2.5 exposures. The oxidative potential of PM2.5 has recently been suggested as a metric that is more indicative of human health effects than the routinely measured PM2.5 concentration. The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare the oxidative potential and elemental composition of PM2.5 collected at two locations during different seasons. PM2.5 was collected onto PTFE-coated filters (n = 16) along two highways in central Oregon, USA in the Winter (January) and Summer (July/August). PM2.5 was extracted from each filter via sonication in methanol. An aliquot of the extraction solution was used to measure oxidative potential using the dithiothreitol (DTT) assay. An additional aliquot underwent analysis via inductively coupled plasma—mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to quantify elements (n = 20). Differences in PM2.5 elemental composition were observed between locations and seasons as well as between days in the same season. Overall, concentrations were highest in the winter samples but the contribution to total PM2.5 mass was higher for elements in the summer. Notably, the oxidative potential (nM DTT consumed/µg PM2.5/min) differed between seasons with summer samples having nearly a two-fold increase when compared to the winter. Significant negative correlations that were observed between DTT consumption and several elements as well as with PM2.5 mass but these findings were dependent on if the data was normalized by PM2.5 mass. This research adds to the growing evidence and justification for investigating the oxidative potential and composition of PM2.5 while also highlighting the seasonal variability of these factors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sources and Composition of Ambient Particulate Matter)
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20 pages, 4064 KiB  
Article
Combined Eulerian-Lagrangian Hybrid Modelling System for PM2.5 and Elemental Carbon Source Apportionment at the Urban Scale in Milan
by Giovanni Lonati, Nicola Pepe, Guido Pirovano, Alessandra Balzarini, Anna Toppetti and Giuseppe Maurizio Riva
Atmosphere 2020, 11(10), 1078; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos11101078 - 10 Oct 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1828
Abstract
Air quality modeling at the very local scale within an urban area is performed through a hybrid modeling system (HMS) that combines the CAMx Eulerian model the with AUSTAL2000 Lagrangian model. The enhancements obtained by means of the HMS in the reconstruction of [...] Read more.
Air quality modeling at the very local scale within an urban area is performed through a hybrid modeling system (HMS) that combines the CAMx Eulerian model the with AUSTAL2000 Lagrangian model. The enhancements obtained by means of the HMS in the reconstruction of the spatial distribution of fine particles (PM2.5) and elemental carbon (EC) concentration are presented for the case-study of Milan city center in Northern Italy. Modeling results are reported for three receptors (a green area, a residential and shopping area, and a congested crossroad on the inner ring road of the city center) selected in order to represent urban sites characterized by both different features in terms of the surrounding built environment and by different exposure to local emission sources. The peculiarity of the three receptors is further highlighted by source apportionment analysis, developed not only with respect to the kind of emission sources but also to the geographical location of the sources within the whole Northern Italy computational domain. Results show that the outcome of the Eulerian model at the local scale is only representative of a background level, similar to the Lagrangian model’s outcome for the green area receptor, but fails to reproduce concentration gradients and hot-spots, driven by local sources’ emissions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sources and Composition of Ambient Particulate Matter)
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16 pages, 4037 KiB  
Article
Application of Positive Matrix Factorization Receptor Model for Source Identification of PM10 in the City of Sofia, Bulgaria
by Elena Hristova, Blagorodka Veleva, Emilia Georgieva and Hristomir Branzov
Atmosphere 2020, 11(9), 890; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos11090890 - 23 Aug 2020
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3516
Abstract
The Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) receptor model is used for identification of source contributions to PM10 sampled during the period January 2019–January 2020 in Sofia. More than 200 filters were analyzed by X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), and Ion [...] Read more.
The Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) receptor model is used for identification of source contributions to PM10 sampled during the period January 2019–January 2020 in Sofia. More than 200 filters were analyzed by X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), and Ion chromatography for chemical elements and soluble ions. Seasonal patterns of PM10 mass and elements’ concentration are observed with minimum in the summer months and maximum in the cold period. The results from source apportionment (SAP) study showed that the resuspension factor is the main contributor to the total PM10 mass (25%), followed by Biomass burning (BB) (23%), Mixed SO42− (19%), Sec (16%), Traffic (TR) (9%), Industry (IND) (4%), Nitrate rich (4%), and Fuel oil burning (FUEL) (0.4%) in Sofia. There are some similarities in relative contribution of the main factors compared to the years 2012–2013. The differences are in identification of the new factor described as mixed sulphate as well as the decrease of the FUEL factor. The results of comparing SAP with EPA PMF 5.0 and chemical transport models (CTM), given by Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, are presented and discussed for the first time for Bulgaria. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sources and Composition of Ambient Particulate Matter)
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22 pages, 3497 KiB  
Article
Air Quality Degradation by Mineral Dust over Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai Chinese Megacities
by Mathieu Lachatre, Gilles Foret, Benoit Laurent, Guillaume Siour, Juan Cuesta, Gaëlle Dufour, Fan Meng, Wei Tang, Qijie Zhang and Matthias Beekmann
Atmosphere 2020, 11(7), 708; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos11070708 - 02 Jul 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3298
Abstract
Air pollution in Chinese megacities has reached extremely hazardous levels, and human activities are responsible for the emission or production of large amounts of particulate matter (PM). In addition to PM from anthropogenic sources, natural phenomena, such as dust storms over Asian deserts, [...] Read more.
Air pollution in Chinese megacities has reached extremely hazardous levels, and human activities are responsible for the emission or production of large amounts of particulate matter (PM). In addition to PM from anthropogenic sources, natural phenomena, such as dust storms over Asian deserts, may also emit large amounts of PM, which lead episodically to poor air quality over Chinese megacities. In this paper, we quantify the degradation of air quality by dust over Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai megacities using the three dimensions (3D) chemistry transport model CHIMERE, which simulates dust emission and transport online. In the first part of our work, we evaluate dust emissions using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) satellite observations of aerosol optical depth, respectively, in the visible and the thermal infrared over source areas. PM simulations were also evaluated compared to surface monitoring stations. Then, mineral dust emissions and their impacts on particle composition of several Chinese megacities were analyzed. Dust emissions and transport over China were simulated during three years (2011, 2013 and 2015). Annual dust contributions to the PM 10 budget over Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai were evaluated respectively as 6.6%, 9.5% and 9.3%. Dust outbreaks largely contribute to poor air quality events during springtime. Indeed it was found that dust significantly contribute for 22%, 52% and 43% of spring PM 10 events (for Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai respectively). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sources and Composition of Ambient Particulate Matter)
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19 pages, 2531 KiB  
Article
Variation of the Distribution of Atmospheric n-Alkanes Emitted by Different Fuels’ Combustion
by Sofia Caumo, Roy E. Bruns and Pérola C. Vasconcellos
Atmosphere 2020, 11(6), 643; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos11060643 - 16 Jun 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3250
Abstract
This study presents the emission profiles of n-alkanes for different vehicular sources in two Brazilian cities. Atmospheric particulate matter was collected in São Paulo (Southeast) and in Salvador (Northeast) to determine n-alkanes. The sites were impacted by bus emissions and heavy [...] Read more.
This study presents the emission profiles of n-alkanes for different vehicular sources in two Brazilian cities. Atmospheric particulate matter was collected in São Paulo (Southeast) and in Salvador (Northeast) to determine n-alkanes. The sites were impacted by bus emissions and heavy and light-duty vehicles. The objective of the present study is to attempt to differentiate the profile of n-alkane emissions for particulate matter (PM) collected at different sites. PM concentrations ranged between 73 and 488 µg m−3, and the highest concentration corresponded to a tunnel for light and heavy duty vehicles. At sites where diesel-fueled vehicles are dominant, the n-alkanes show a unimodal distribution, which is different from the bimodal profile observed in the literature. Carbon preference index values corresponded to anthropogenic sources for most of the sites, as expected, but Cmax varied comparing to literature and a source signature was difficult to observe. The main sources to air pollution were indicated by principal component analysis (PCA). For PCA, a receptor model often used as an exploratory tool to identify the major sources of air pollutant emissions, the principal factors were attributed to mixed sources and to bus emissions. Chromatograms of four specific samples showed distinct profiles of unresolved complex mixtures (UCM), indicating different contributions of contamination from petroleum or fossil fuel residues, which are unable to resolve by gas chromatography. The UCM area seemed higher in samples collected at sites with the abundance of heavy vehicles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sources and Composition of Ambient Particulate Matter)
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14 pages, 3389 KiB  
Article
Fine and Coarse Carbonaceous Aerosol in Houston, TX, during DISCOVER-AQ
by Subin Yoon, Sascha Usenko and Rebecca J. Sheesley
Atmosphere 2020, 11(5), 482; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos11050482 - 09 May 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2480
Abstract
To investigate major sources and trends of particulate pollution in Houston, total suspended particulate (TSP) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) samples were collected and analyzed. Characterization of organic (OC) and elemental (EC) carbon combined with realtime black carbon (BC) concentration provided [...] Read more.
To investigate major sources and trends of particulate pollution in Houston, total suspended particulate (TSP) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) samples were collected and analyzed. Characterization of organic (OC) and elemental (EC) carbon combined with realtime black carbon (BC) concentration provided insight into the temporal trends of PM2.5 and coarse PM (subtraction of PM2.5 from TSP) during the Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from Column and VERtically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality (DISCOVER-AQ) Campaign in Houston in 2013. Ambient OC, EC, and BC concentrations were highest in the morning, likely due to motor vehicle exhaust emissions associated with the morning rush hour. The morning periods also had the lowest OC to EC ratios, indicative of primary combustion sources. Houston also had significant coarse EC at the downtown site, with an average (±standard deviation) PM2.5 to TSP ratio of 0.52 ± 0.18 and an average coarse EC concentration of 0.44 ± 0.24 µg·C·m−3. The coarse EC concentrations were likely associated with less efficient industrial combustion processes from industry near downtown Houston. During the last week (20–28 September, 2013), increases in OC and EC concentrations were predominantly in the fine fraction. Both PM2.5 and TSP samples from the last week were further analyzed using radiocarbon analysis. Houston’s carbonaceous aerosol was determined to be largely from contemporary sources for both size fractions; however, PM2.5 had less impact from fossil sources. There was an increasing trend in fossil carbon during a period with the highest carbonaceous aerosol concentrations (September 24 night and 25 day) that was observed in both the PM2.5 and TSP. Overall, this study provided insight into the sources and trends of both fine and coarse PM in a large urban U.S. city impacted by a combination of urban, industrial, and biogenic emissions sources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sources and Composition of Ambient Particulate Matter)
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11 pages, 1785 KiB  
Article
Local and Remote Sources of Airborne Suspended Particulate Matter in the Antarctic Region
by César Marina-Montes, Luis Vicente Pérez-Arribas, Jesús Anzano and Jorge O. Cáceres
Atmosphere 2020, 11(4), 373; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos11040373 - 10 Apr 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3453
Abstract
Quantification of suspended particulate matter (SPM) measurements—together with statistical tools, polar contour maps and backward air mass trajectory analyses—were implemented to better understand the main local and remote sources of contamination in this pristine region. Field campaigns were carried out during the austral [...] Read more.
Quantification of suspended particulate matter (SPM) measurements—together with statistical tools, polar contour maps and backward air mass trajectory analyses—were implemented to better understand the main local and remote sources of contamination in this pristine region. Field campaigns were carried out during the austral summer of 2016–2017 at the “Gabriel de Castilla” Spanish Antarctic Research Station, located on Deception Island (South Shetland Islands, Antarctic). Aerosols were deposited in an air filter through a low-volume sampler and chemically analysed using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES). Elements such as Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, P, S, Cu, Pb, Sr, Ti, Zn, Hf, Zr, V, As, Ti, Mn, Sn and Cr were identified. The statistical tools together with their correlations (Sr/Na, Al/Ti, Al/Mn, Al/Sr, Al/Pb, K/P) suggest a potentially significant role of terrestrial inputs for Al, Ti, Mn, Sr and Pb; marine environments for Sr and Na; and biological inputs for K and P. Polar contour graphical maps allowed reproducing wind maps, revealing the biological local distribution of K and P (penguin colony). Additionally, backward trajectory analysis confirmed previous affirmations and atmospheric air masses following the Antarctic circumpolar pattern. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sources and Composition of Ambient Particulate Matter)
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17 pages, 4042 KiB  
Article
Source Apportionment of Fine Organic and Inorganic Atmospheric Aerosol in an Urban Background Area in Greece
by Manousos Ioannis Manousakas, Kalliopi Florou and Spyros N. Pandis
Atmosphere 2020, 11(4), 330; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos11040330 - 29 Mar 2020
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 3553
Abstract
Fine particulate matter (PM) originates from various emission sources and physicochemical processes. Quantification of the sources of PM is an important step during the planning of efficient mitigation strategies and the investigation of the potential risks to human health. Usually, source apportionment studies [...] Read more.
Fine particulate matter (PM) originates from various emission sources and physicochemical processes. Quantification of the sources of PM is an important step during the planning of efficient mitigation strategies and the investigation of the potential risks to human health. Usually, source apportionment studies focus either on the organic or on the inorganic fraction of PM. In this study that took place in Patras, Greece, we address both PM fractions by combining measurements from a range of on- and off-line techniques, including elemental composition, organic and elemental carbon (OC and EC) measurements, and high-resolution Aerosol Mass Spectrometry (AMS) from different techniques. Six fine PM2.5 sources were identified based on the off-line measurements: secondary sulfate (34%), biomass burning (15%), exhaust traffic emissions (13%), nonexhaust traffic emissions (12%), mineral dust (10%), and sea salt (5%). The analysis of the AMS spectra quantified five factors: two oxygenated organic aerosols (OOA) factors (an OOA and a marine-related OOA, 52% of the total organic aerosols (OA)), cooking OA (COA, 11%) and two biomass burning OA (BBOA-I and BBOA-II, 37% in total) factors. The results of the two methods were synthesized, showcasing the complementarity of the two methodologies for fine PM source identification. The synthesis suggests that the contribution of biomass burning is quite robust, but that the exhaust traffic emissions are not due to local sources and may also include secondary OA from other sources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sources and Composition of Ambient Particulate Matter)
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20 pages, 5761 KiB  
Article
Functional Factors of Biomass Burning Contribution to Spring Aerosol Composition in a Megacity: Combined FTIR-PCA Analyses
by Olga Popovicheva, Alexey Ivanov and Michal Vojtisek
Atmosphere 2020, 11(4), 319; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos11040319 - 25 Mar 2020
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3276
Abstract
Whether the spring season brings additional pollution to the urban environment remains questionable for a megacity. Aerosol sampling and characterization was performed in the urban background of the Moscow megacity in spring 2017, in a period of a significant impact of mass advection [...] Read more.
Whether the spring season brings additional pollution to the urban environment remains questionable for a megacity. Aerosol sampling and characterization was performed in the urban background of the Moscow megacity in spring 2017, in a period of a significant impact of mass advection from surrounding fire regions. Parametrization of Angstrom absorption exponent (AAE) on low and high values provides periods dominated by fossil fuel (FF) combustion and affected by biomass burning (BB), respectively. The period identification is supported by air mass transportation from the south of Russia through the regions where a number of fires were observed. Functionalities in entire aerosol composition, assigned to classes of organic, ionic compounds, and dust, are inferred by diffusion refection infrared Fourier transmission (FTIR) spectroscopy. Functional markers of urban transport emissions relate to modern engine technology and driving cycles. Regional BB functionalities indicate the fire impacts to the spring aerosol composition. The development of the advanced source apportionment for a megacity is performed by means of combined ambient FTIR data and statistical PCA analysis. PCA of FTIR spectral data differentiate daily aerosol chemistry by low and high AAE values, related to FF- and BB-affected spectral features. PC loadings of 58%, 21%, and 11% of variability reveal the functional factors of transport, biomass burning, biogenic, dust, and secondary aerosol spring source impacts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sources and Composition of Ambient Particulate Matter)
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14 pages, 4781 KiB  
Article
Characteristics of Black Carbon Particle-Bound Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Two Sites of Nanjing and Shanghai, China
by Shijie Cui, Ruoyuan Lei, Yangzhou Wu, Dandan Huang, Fuzhen Shen, Junfeng Wang, Liping Qiao, Min Zhou, Shuhui Zhu, Yingge Ma and Xinlei Ge
Atmosphere 2020, 11(2), 202; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos11020202 - 14 Feb 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3439
Abstract
Airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of great concern to human health due to their potential high toxicity. Understanding the characteristics and sources of PAHs, as well as the governing factors, is therefore critical. PAHs and refractory black carbon (rBC) are [...] Read more.
Airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of great concern to human health due to their potential high toxicity. Understanding the characteristics and sources of PAHs, as well as the governing factors, is therefore critical. PAHs and refractory black carbon (rBC) are both from combustion sources. This work, for the first time, investigated exclusively the rBC-bound PAH properties by using a laser-only Aerodyne soot-particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SP-AMS). This technique offers highly time-resolved PAH results that a traditional offline measurement is unable to provide. We analyzed two datasets conducted in urban Shanghai during the fall of 2018 and in suburban Nanjing during the winter of 2017, respectively. Results show that the average concentration of PAHs in Nanjing was much higher than that in Shanghai. Nanjing PAHs contained more low molecular weight components while Shanghai PAHs contained more high molecular weight ones. PAHs in Shanghai presented two peaks in early morning and evening, while Nanjing PAHs had only one significant morning peak, but remained high throughout the nighttime. A multi-linear regression algorithm combined with positive matrix factorization (PMF) analyses on sources of PAHs reveals that the industry emissions contributed the majority of PAHs in Nanjing (~80%), while traffic emissions dominated PAHs in Shanghai (~70%). We further investigated the relationships between PAHs with various factors. PAHs in both sites tended to positively correlate with primary pollutants, including primary organic aerosol (OA) factors, and gaseous pollutants of CO, NO2 and SO2, but negatively correlated with secondary OA factors and O3. This result highlights the enhancement of rBC-bound PAHs level due to primary emissions and their oxidation loss upon atmospheric aging reactions. High concentration of PAHs seemed to frequently appear under low temperature and high relative humidity conditions, especially in Shanghai. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sources and Composition of Ambient Particulate Matter)
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19 pages, 2106 KiB  
Article
Contribution of Volcanic and Fumarolic Emission to the Aerosol in Marine Atmosphere in the Central Mediterranean Sea: Results from Med-Oceanor 2017 Cruise Campaign
by Sacha Moretti, Apostolos Salmatonidis, Xavier Querol, Antonella Tassone, Virginia Andreoli, Mariantonia Bencardino, Nicola Pirrone, Francesca Sprovieri and Attilio Naccarato
Atmosphere 2020, 11(2), 149; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos11020149 - 30 Jan 2020
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2788
Abstract
This work studied the contribution of the geogenic sources volcanoes and fumaroles to the aerosol in marine atmosphere in the central Mediterranean basin. For this purpose, in the framework of the Med-Oceanor measurement program, we carried out a cruise campaign in the summer [...] Read more.
This work studied the contribution of the geogenic sources volcanoes and fumaroles to the aerosol in marine atmosphere in the central Mediterranean basin. For this purpose, in the framework of the Med-Oceanor measurement program, we carried out a cruise campaign in the summer of 2017 to investigate the impact to the aerosol of the most important Mediterranean volcanoes (Mount Etna, Stromboli Island, and Marsili Seamount) and solfatara areas (Phlegraean Fields complex, Volcano Islands, Ischia Island, and Panarea submarine fumarole). We collected PM10 and PM2.5 samples in 12 sites and performed chemical characterization to gather information about the concentration of major and trace elements, elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), and ionic species. The use of triangular plots and the calculation of enrichment factors confirmed the interception of volcanic plume. We integrated the outcomes from chemical characterization with the use of factor analysis and SEM/EDX analysis for the source apportionment. Anthropogenic and natural sources including shipping emissions, volcanic and fumarolic load, as well as sea spray were identified as the main factors affecting aerosol levels in the study area. Furthermore, we performed pattern recognition analysis by stepwise linear discriminant analysis to seek differences in the composition of PM10 and PM2.5 samples according to their volcanic or solfatara origin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sources and Composition of Ambient Particulate Matter)
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