PM2.5 Chemical Composition at a Rural Background Site in Central Europe, Including Correlation and Air Mass Back Trajectory Analysis.

0457965 - ÚCHP 2017 RIV NL eng J - Journal Article
Schwarz, Jaroslav - Cusack, Michael - Karban, Jindřich - Chalupníčková, E. - Havránek, Vladimír - Smolík, Jiří - Ždímal, Vladimír
PM2.5 Chemical Composition at a Rural Background Site in Central Europe, Including Correlation and Air Mass Back Trajectory Analysis.
Atmospheric Research. 176-177, JUL 1 (2016), s. 108-120. ISSN 0169-8095. E-ISSN 1873-2895
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP209/11/1342; GA MŠMT(CZ) LM2011019
EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 262254 - ACTRIS
Institutional support: RVO:67985858 ; RVO:61389005
Keywords : rural aerosol * PM2.5 * chemical composition
Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry; BG - Nuclear, Atomic and Molecular Physics, Colliders (UJF-V)
Impact factor: 3.778, year: 2016

PM2.5 mass concentrations and chemical compositions sampled over a 13-month period at a Central European rural background site (Kosetice) are presented in this work. A comprehensive chemical analysis of PM2.5 was performed, which provided elemental composition (Al, Si, S, CI, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, and Pb) and the concentration of water-soluble inorganic anions (SO42-, NO3-. Cr, Br, and H2PO4-) and cations (Na+, NH4+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+), elemental and organic carbon (EC and OC), and levoglucosan. Spearman correlation coefficients between individual chemical species and particle number concentrations were calculated for the following six size ranges: 10-25 nm (N10-25), 25-50 nm (N25-50), 50-80 nm (N50-80), 801-50 nm (N80-150), 150-300 nm (N150-300), and 300-800 nm (N300-800). Average concentrations of individual species were comparable with concentrations reported from similar sites across Central Europe. Organic matter (OM) accounted for 45% of the PM2.5 mass (calculated from OC by a factor of 1.6), while the second most common component were secondary aerosols (SW: 19%, NO3-: 14%, NH4+: 10%), which accounted for 43% of the mass. Based on levoglucosan analysis, 31% of OM was attributed to emissions associated with biomass burning (OMBB). EC concentrations, determined using the EUSAAR_2 thermal optical protocol, contributed 4% to PM2.5 mass. A total of 1% of the mass was attributed to a mineral matter source, while the remaining 6% was from an undetermined mass. Seasonal variations showed highest concentrations of NO; and OMBB in winter, nitrate share in spring, and an increase in percentage of SO42- and mineral matter in summer. The largest seasonal variation was found for species associated with wood and coal combustion (levoglucosan, K+, Zn, Pb, As), which had clear maxima during winter.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0258305