Chemical composition of PM2.5 at an urban site of Chengdu in southwestern China

PM2.5 aerosols were sampled in urban Chengdu from April 2009 to January 2010, and their chemical compositions were characterized in detail for elements, water soluble inorganic ions, and carbonaceous matter. The annual average of PM2.5 was 165g m－3, which is generally higher than measurements in other Chinese cities, suggesting serious particulate pollution issues in the city. Water soluble ions contributed 43.5% to the annual total PM2.5 mass, carbonaceous aerosols including elemental carbon and organic carbon contributed 32.0%, and trace elements contributed 13.8%. Distinct daily and seasonal variations were observed in the mass concentrations of PM2.5 and its components, reflecting the seasonal variations of different anthropogenic and natural sources. Weakly acidic to neutral particles were found for PM2.5. Major sources of PM2.5 identified from source apportionment analysis included coal combustion, traffic exhaust, biomass burning, soil dust, and construction dust emissions. The low nitrate: sulfate ratio suggested that stationary emissions were more important than vehicle emissions. The reconstructed masses of ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, particulate carbonaceous matter, and fine soil accounted for 79% of the total measured PM2.5 mass; they also accounted for 92% of the total measured particle scattering.     

Size distributions of ambient air particles and enrichment factor analyses of metallic elements at Taichung Harbor near the Taiwan Strait

This work attempts to characterize metallic elements associated with atmospheric particulate matter on a dry deposition plate, a TE-PUF high-volume air sampler and a universal air sampler. Dry deposition fluxes of particulates and concentrations of total suspended particulate, fine (PM_2.5) and coarse (PM_2.5–10) particulate matters were collected at Taichung harbor sampling sites from August 2004 to January 2005. Chemical analyses of metallic elements were made using a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer coupled with hollow cathode lamps. Concentrations of metal elements in the forms of coarse particles and fine particles as well as the coarse/fine particulate ratios were presented. Statistical methods such as correlation analysis, principal component analysis and enrichment factor analysis were performed to compare the chemical components and identify possible emission sources at the sampling sites. Metallic elements of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Ni and Mg had higher EF_crust ratios in winter and spring than in summer and autumn. Diurnal and nocturnal variations of metallic element concentrations in fine and coarse particles were also discussed.     

Effects of atmospheric circulation and boundary layer structure on the dispersion of suspended particulates in the Seoul metropolitan area

Summary A three-dimensional non-hydrostatic numerical model and lagrangian particle model (random walk model) were used to investigate the effects of the atmospheric circulation and boundary layer structure on the dispersion of suspended particulates in the Seoul metropolitan area. Initially, emitted particulate matter rises from the surface of the city towards the top of the convective boundary layer (CBL), owing to daytime thermal heating of the surface and the combined effect of an onshore wind with a westerly synoptic-scale wind. A reinforcing sea-valley breeze directed from the coast toward the city of Seoul, which is enclosed in a basin and bordered by mountains to its east, disperses the suspended particulate matter toward the eastern mountains. Total suspended particulate concentration (TSP) at ground level in the city is very low and relatively high in the mountains. Radiative cooling of the surface produces a shallow nocturnal surface inversion layer (NSIL) and the suspended particulate matter still present near the top of the CBL from the previous day, sinks to the surface. An easterly downslope mountain wind is directed into the metropolitan area, transporting particulate matter towards the city, thereby recycling the pollutants. The particulates descending from the top of the NSIL and mountains, combine with particulates emitted near the surface over the city at night, and under the shallow NSIL spread out, resulting in a maximum ground level concentration of TSP in the metropolitan area at 2300 LST. As those particles move toward the Yellow Sea through the topographically shaped outlet west of Seoul city under the influence of the easterly land breeze, the maximum TSP concentration occurs at the coastal site. During the following morning, onshore winds resulting from a combined synoptic-scale westerly wind and westerly sea breeze, force particulates dispersed the previous night to move over the adjacent sea and back over the inland metropolitan area. The recycled particulates combine with the particulates emitted from the surface in the central part of the metropolitan area, producing a high TSP and again rise towards the top of the CBL ready to repeat the cycle.     

Ionic and elemental composition of PM<Subscript>2.5</Subscript> aerosols over the Caribbean Sea in the Tropical Atlantic

To characterize atmospheric particulate matter equal or less than 2.5 μm in diameter (PM_2.5) over the Tropical Atlantic Ocean, aerosol sampling was carried out in Puerto Rico during August and September, 2006. Aerosols were analyzed by ion chromatography for water-soluble inorganic and organic ions (including Na⁺, NH₄ ⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, K⁺, Cl^?, SO₄ ^2?, NH₄ ⁺, F^?, methanesulfonate (MSA), and oxalate), by inductive coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) for trace elements (Al, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Ni, V, Pb, Cr, Sb, Co, Sc, Cd), and by scanning electron microscopy for individual aerosol particle composition and morphology. The results show that the dominant cations in aerosols were Na⁺, (mean: 631 ng m^?3), accounting for 63.8 % of the total cation and NH₄ ⁺ (mean: 164 ng m^?3), accounting for 13.8 % of the total cation measured in this study. The main inorganic anions were Cl^? (576 ng m^?3, 54.1 %) and SO₄ ^2? (596 ng m^?3, 38.0 %). The main organic anion was oxalate (18 ng m^?3). Crustal enrichment factor calculations identified 62 % of the trace elements measured (Cu, Ni, V, Co, Al, Mn, Fe, Sc, and Cr) with crustal origin. Single particle analysis demonstrated that 40 % of the aerosol particles examined were Cl^? rich particles as sodium chloride from seawater and 34 % of the total particles were Si-rich particles, mainly in the form of aluminosilicates from dust material. Based on the combination of air-mass trajectories, cluster analysis and principal component analysis, the major sources of these PM_2.5 particles include marine, Saharan dust and biomass burning from West Africa; however, volcanic emissions from the Soufriere Hills in Montserrat had significant impact on aerosol composition in this region at the time of sample collection.     

Prediction of tropical cyclogenesis in North Indian Ocean using Oceansat-2 scatterometer (OSCAT) winds

India’s polar orbiting satellite Oceansat-2 was launched by Indian Space Research Organisation on 23 September 2009 for applications pertaining to ocean studies and meteorology. The wind scatterometer aboard the Oceansat-2 satellite (OSCAT) covers 90 % of the global ocean within a day. In the present study, the OSCAT-derived wind fields are used to predict the genesis of tropical cyclones over the North Indian Ocean using a new technique based on data mining. The technique is based on the premise that there is some degree of similarity in low-level wind circulation among developing systems, which can be utilized to distinguish them from non-developing systems. This similarity of wind patterns has been measured quantitatively by computing the “matching index” between the given wind pattern and the wind signatures of developing systems available from the past observations. The algorithm is used to predict the tropical cyclogenesis of cyclones formed during the period 2009–11 in the North Indian Ocean. All the tropical disturbances that developed into tropical storms during the above period (2009–11), viz. PHYAN, WARD, LAILA, BANDU, PHET, GIRI, JAL, KEILA, FOUR, FIVE and THANE were predicted using the proposed method. The mean prediction lead time of the technique was 63 h. Probability of detection of the technique was 100 %, while the false alarm ratio was 2 %.     

Atmospheric abundance of HULIS during wintertime in Indo-Gangetic Plain: impact of biomass burning emissions

This study reports for the first-time the ambient concentrations of HULIS mass (HULIS-OM, Humic-like substances) and HULIS-C (carbon) in PM₁₀ (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter?≤?10 μm) from the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP at Kanpur, wintertime). HULIS extraction followed by purification and isolation protocol with methanol: acetonitrile (1:1 v/v) on HLB (Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Balanced) cartridge has been established. Quantification of HULIS-C was achieved on a total organic carbon (TOC) analyser whereas HULIS-OM was determined gravimetrically. Consistently high recovery (> 90%) of HULIS-C based on analysis of Humic standard (sodium salt of Humic acid) suggested suitability of our established analytical protocol involving solvent extraction, purification and accurate quantification of HULIS. HULIS-OM varied from 17.3–38 μg m^?3 during daytime and from 19.8–40.6 μg m^?3 during night in this study. During daytime the HULIS-OM constituted 20–30% mass fraction of OM_Total and 10–15% of PM₁₀ mass. However, a relatively low contribution of HULIS-OM has been observed during the night. This observation has been attributed to higher concentrations of OM and PM₁₀ in night owing to nighttime chemical reactivity and condensation of organics in conjunction with shallower planetary boundary layer height. Strong correlation of HULIS-C with K⁺_BB (R²?>?0.80) and significant day-night variability of HULIS-C/WSOC ratio in conjunction with air-mass back trajectories (showing transport of pollutants from upwind IGP) suggest biomass burning emission and secondary transformations as important sources of HULIS over IGP. High-loading of atmospheric PM₁₀ (as high as 440 μg m^?3) with significant contribution of water-soluble organic aerosols (WSOC/OC: ~ 0.40–0.80) during wintertime highlights their plausible potential role in fog and haze formation and their impact on regional-scale atmospheric radiative forcing over the IGP.     

Long-range transport of particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at Cape Hedo remote island site in the East China Sea between 2005 and 2008

Particle-associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in outflow from East Asia were observed at Cape Hedo, Okinawa, Japan between 2005 and 2008. The filter samples of the total suspended particles were analyzed by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The total concentration of fourteen 3–7-ring PAHs was 0.01–24 ng m^?3 (average 1.6 ng m^?3). The average PAH concentration increased in the winter-spring season and decreased in the summer-fall season. The average benzo(a)pyrene to benzo(e)pyrene ratio was 0.49 in the winter-spring season and was lower than the literature values for East Asian cities in the same season. This result shows that aging of organic aerosol particles proceeds during long-range transport from East Asia. In the Asian Pacific region, these pollutants are transported from East Asia in the winter-spring season, whereas clean air mass is transported from the Pacific Ocean in the summer-fall season.     

Advection,Surface Area,and Sediment Load of the Fraser River Plume Under Variable Wind and River Forcing

The Fraser River is the source of most particulate matter in the Strait of Georgia, and its dispersal is modulated by the Fraser’s plume. Here we examine the plume’s shape, location, and area, and the variation of these parameters with changes in wind and river forcing by examining a 13-year time series of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite imagery for the concentration of suspended particulate matter (SPM). Plume shape and its variations are quantified by dividing the 904 images in this time series into subsets showing conditions under specified wind and river flow conditions and forming a composite image for each subset. Quantitative analysis of scalar quantities like plume area and mean plume SPM are based on calculated values for all individual images. The plume area increases linearly with river flow, changing by a factor of 10 between lowest and highest flows. Mean plume SPM also changes with flow but only by a factor of two. The surface area of the plume is almost completely unaffected by wind conditions. Plume location, however, is very sensitive to both wind speed and direction. It can reach across the Strait at highest river flows and is advected either northwest or southeast along the Strait in the same direction as winds on daily time scales. We also estimate the residence time of sediment in the plume to be only a few days, allowing the plume itself to reshape rapidly over short time scales in response to weather conditions.     

金沙本底站空气质量与颗粒物浓度变化特征分析

利用华中区域代表性站点金沙国家大气本底站2007—2018年的PM_2.5、PM₁₀颗粒物质量浓度数据,2019年3月—2019年6月反应性气体数据,对华中区域空气质量进行整体评价,并分析了颗粒物浓度的变化特征及其影响因素。结果表明,反应性气体CO、SO₂、NO、NO₂质量浓度其日平均最大值、平均值均达到一级标准,O₃日平均值超标率为10.6%,PM_2.5超标率为18%,PM₁₀超标率为17%。从颗粒物质量浓度多年变化来看,2007—2013年金沙站大气颗粒物质量浓度属于上升趋势,2013年至今质量浓度呈现下降趋势,风向风速也在一定程度上影响颗粒物的来源。     

黄石市大气PM10和PM2.5质量浓度特征研究

利用2015年黄石市5个监测站点可吸入颗粒物(PM10)和细颗粒物(PM2.5)的在线监测数据和风向、风速、气温、气压等常规地面气象要素观测资料,分析了黄石市大气PM10和PM2.5的质量浓度水平分布特征及其与气象参数的关系。结果表明:2015年黄石市5个监测站点大气PM10和PM2.5年均浓度范围分别为95.8—108.6μg·m^-3和64.3—68.9μg·m^-3,均超过国家二级标准;季均质量浓度呈现显著的冬季高夏季低的变化规律,冬季PM10和PM2.5的质量浓度分别为(143.9±62.2)μg·m^-3和(95.5±44.5)μg·m^-3,夏季PM10和PM2.5的质量浓度分别为(75.2±24.0)μg·m^-3和(50.7±17.3)μg·m^-3。5个监测站中,下陆区、西塞山区和铁山区的PM10和PM2.5颗粒物污染较为严重;各站点大气PM10和PM2.5质量浓度显著相关。大气颗粒物浓度与气象因素的分析显示,黄石市大气颗粒物浓度与气温呈显著的负相关关系,与气压呈正相关关系,与风速和相对湿度的相关性不显著,受风向影响变化较大。     

Cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentration in the Brazilian northeast semi-arid region: the influence of local circulation

Ground-based aerosol instrumentation covering particle size diameters from 25 nm to 32 µm was deployed to determine aerosol concentration and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN)-activation properties at water vapor supersaturations in the range of S = 0.20–1.50 % in the remote Brazilian northeast semi-arid region (NEB) in coastal (maritime) and continental (inland) regimes. The instruments measured aerosol number concentration and activation spectra for CCN and revealed that aerosol properties are sensitive with respect to the sources as a function of the local wind circulation system. The observations show that coastal aerosol total number concentrations are above 3,000 cm^?3 on average, exhibiting concentration peaks depending on the time of the day in a consistent daily pattern. The variation on aerosol concentration has also influences on the fraction of particles active as CCN. At 1.0 % water vapor supersaturation, the fraction can reach as high as 80 %. Inland aerosol total concentrations were about 1,800–1,900 cm^?3 and did not show much diurnal variation. The fraction of particles active as CCN observed inland depend on the history of the air masses, and was much higher when air masses were originated over the sea. It was found that (NH₄)₂SO₄ and NaCl are the major soluble inorganic fraction of the aerosols at the coast. The major fraction of NaCl was present in the coarse mode, while ammonium sulfate dominates the inorganic fraction at the submicron range, with about 10 % of the total aerosol mass at 0.32 µm. Inorganic compounds are almost absent in particles with sizes around 0.1 μm. The study suggests that the air masses with high concentration of CCN originate at the sea. The feasible explanation lies in the fact that the NEB’s beaches have a particular morphology that produces a wide surf zone and creates a large load of aerosols when combined with strong and permanent winds of the region.     

Climate Change driven evolution of hazards to Europe’s transport infrastructure throughout the twenty-first century

Air circulation due to the urban heat island (UHI) effect can influence the dispersion of air pollutants in a metropolis. This study focusses on the influence of the UHI effect on particulate matter (PM; including PM_2.5 and PM_2.5–10) between May and September 2010–2012 in the Taipei basin. Meteorological and PM data were obtained from the sites, owned by the governmental authorities. The analysis was carried out using t test, relative indices (RIs), Pearson product–moment correlation and stepwise regression. The results show that the RI values for PM were the highest at moderate UHI intensity (MUI; 2 °C ≤ UHI < 4 °C) rather than at strong UHI intensity (SUI; 4 °C ≤ UHI) during the peak time for anthropogenic emissions (20:00 LST). Neither the accumulation of PM nor the surface convergence occurred in the hot centre, as shown by the case study. At MUI, more than 89 % of the synoptic weather patterns showed that the weather was clear and hot or that the atmosphere was stable. The variation in PM was associated with horizontal and vertical air dispersion. Poor horizontal air dispersion, with subsidence, caused an increase in PM at MUI. However, the updraft motion diluted the PM at SUI. The stepwise regression models show that the cloud index and surface air pressure determined the variation in PM_2.5–10, while cloud index, wind speed and mixing height influenced the variation in PM_2.5. In conclusion, a direct relationship between UHI effect and PM was not obvious.     

Observations of Aerosol Optical Properties in the Beijing Urban Area in Summer

To investigate aerosol optical properties in the Beijing metropolitan area,aerosol absorption coefficient(Ab) ,scattering coefficient(Sc) ,and fine particulate matter(PM2.5) were measured in the Beijing urban area from 20 May to 30 August 2009.The average Ab,Sc,single scattering albedo(SSA) ,and PM2.5 concentration were 58.0±39.5 M m-1,343.5±353.7 M m-1,0.80±0.10 and 63.6±50.0-g m-3,respectively,during the observation period.Ab,Sc,and SSA all showed single peak diurnal variations,with their maximum values being measured at 0500,1000,and 1300 local time,respectively.Ab and Sc had a strong positive correlation with PM2.5,and Ab,Sc,and PM2.5 all had positive correlations with relative humidity and negative correlations with wind speed.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with atmospheric particles in Higashi Hiroshima, Japan: Influence of meteorological conditions and seasonal variations

This work studied the influence of meteorological conditions on particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the atmosphere of Higashi Hiroshima, Japan. The seasonal variation of particulate PAHs was also covered. It was found that ambient temperature, solar intensity and weekly rainfall had significant influence on the particulate PAH concentration based on correlation studies. Correlation of particulate PAHs with ambient temperature, solar intensity, weekly rainfall, wind speed and humidity was studied by using Pearson correlation analysis. Particulate PAHs had a strong negative correlation with ambient temperature and solar intensity. A moderate negative correlation with weekly rainfall was also observed. There was no significant correlation between particulate PAHs with wind speed as well as humidity. Besides, particulate PAHs were found to have significant positive correlation with sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide while having a moderate negative correlation with ozone. The particulate PAHs in Higashi Hiroshima exerted distinct seasonal variation with a higher concentration in winter and lower concentration in summer. When compared among PAHs with different numbers of aromatic rings; 5-ring PAHs was found to exert the most distinct seasonal variation. The contribution of carcinogenic PAHs to total particulate PAH concentration was fairly constant at about 50% throughout the year.     

Measurements of ozone and its precursor nitrogen dioxide and crop yield losses due to cumulative ozone exposures over 40 ppb (AOT40) in rural coastal southern India

Measurements of ground level ozone (O₃), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and meteorological parameters (air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed and direction) has been made for 3 years from March 2007 to February 2010 at Nagercoil (8.2°N, 77.5°E, 23 m above sea level), an equatorial rural coastal site of southern India. The monthly average of daytime maximum of O₃ concentrations ranged from 28 to 50 parts per billion (ppb) with an annual average of 19.8 ppb. Similarly, monthly average of NO₂ concentration ranged from 3.4 ppb to 7.7 ppb with an annual average of 5.3 ppb. The monthly variation of meteorological parameters shows the little changes being a coastal site. The estimated summer crops yield losses by 1.1–15.6 % from present O₃ concentration level associated with AOT40 index 3.1–5 ppm h.     

晋城市冬、春季PM2.5和PM10污染水平时空分布及其与气象因子的关系

为深入了解晋城市颗粒物浓度时空分布特征,对晋城市2017年12月至2018年5月国控点、小型站和微型站PM2.5及PM10小时浓度数据进行收集整理,并进行空间插值分析和时间变化趋势分析及与气象监测数据的相关分析。结果表明:颗粒物浓度在冬、春季节具有明显差异,冬季PM10与PM2.5高值区主要位于东北部及东南小部分区域,春季PM10高值区位于城区南部区域,PM2.5高值区主要集中于城区。晋城市城区和郊区PM10与PM2.5月均浓度整体呈单峰型变化,PM10在4月份最高(157.54±5.67μg·m^-3),PM2.5在1月份最高(94.08±2.25μg·m^-3)。冬季PM2.5/PM10平均为0.57,春季平均为0.45。颗粒物小时浓度的变化呈现单峰单谷的型式,冬季PM10与PM2.5小时平均浓度最高值均出现在10时,春季均出现在09时。监测期间晋城市PM10与PM2.5的小时浓度值与相对湿度有较高的正相关性(p<0.01),与风速、风向有较高的负相关性(p<0.01),与温度和气压的相关性较低。冬季,东北至正南风向时,PM10与PM2.5的浓度普遍高于西北风向时的浓度,对晋城冬、春季国控点颗粒物浓度贡献率最高的风向风速为东南偏南风向,风速在1 m/s以内。     

苏州市大气PM_(2.5)中水溶性无机离子的源解析及其气象因子分析

为了探明PM_(2.5)中水溶性无机离子的来源和气象因子对其浓度变化的影响,利用2012年2、5、8和11月苏州市PM_(2.5)中水溶性无机离子浓度和本站气象观测数据,分析了苏州市水溶性无机离子的时间变化特征,解析了当地PM_(2.5)中水溶性无机离子的主要来源,探讨了气象因素对离子组分的影响。结果表明:(1)苏州市PM_(2.5)中水溶性无机离子年均浓度大小依次为:SO_4~(2-)NO_3~-NH_4~+Na~+Cl~-K~+Ca~(2+)Mg~(2+)F~-;SO_4~(2-)、NH_4~+和NO_3~-为PM_(2.5)中最重要的3种水溶性无机离子物种,其总和占PM_(2.5)总质量浓度的50.9%。各离子的季节浓度特征均为冬季最高、夏季最低。(2)通过运用主成分分析法对苏州市PM_(2.5)中水溶性无机离子进行来源分类解析,发现第一类为二次污染源和生物质燃烧,其贡献率为32.84;第二类为道路扬尘及工业排放,其贡献率为19.99%;第三类为海盐污染,其贡献率为18.43%。(3)通过水溶性无机离子与气象条件的相关性分析发现,风向、风速和温度与水溶性无机离子浓度的相关性较显著,这三者是颗粒物浓度变化的主要影响因子。(4)利用HYSPLIT后向轨迹模式对外来污染物进入苏州市的轨迹进行聚类分析后发现:因受季风气候影响,苏州市外来污染物的输入路径存在明显的季节性变化特征,其中夏半年输送主径源自海上,冬半年主径源自内陆。     

基于无人机观测的太原夏季PM_(2.5)垂直分布特征及成因分析

利用无人机搭载气象及环境监测设备于2020年7月29—31日在太原进行飞行试验,对不同高度层颗粒物和气象要素进行观测,得到PM_(2.5)三维分布及其随时间的变化特征,并通过气象要素、天气形势和后向轨迹分析得到污染累积和消散成因以及外地传输作用影响。结果表明:PM_(2.5)浓度的垂直分布差异显著,下午大部分时次满足"下高上低"规律,上午边界层垂直混合和颗粒物吸湿增长可能导致"下低上高"的情况;逆温层对大气垂直混合有明显抑制作用;29日为污染物积累过程,30日和31日白天均为消散过程;副热带高压带来的小风、高湿环境是29日颗粒物逐渐累积的原因,30日槽前对流发展和较大的风速有利于颗粒物浓度下降,31日相对湿度较低、对流发展旺盛使PM_(2.5)浓度快速下降;试验期间气流主要来自东南方向,太原市PM_(2.5)本地积累占主导地位,外地传输更多来自于本省晋中、长治等邻近城市。     

Precipitation chemistry and ozone and sulfate concentrations in the ocean atmosphere observed by multi-year cruising in East Asia and West Oceania (35°N–35°S, 100–135°E) in August and September

A comprehensive study on the chemistry of deposition and the concentration of tropospheric ozone and particulate sulfate in the ocean atmosphere was carried out for the data sets in 1990’s. It is important to study the atmospheric situation over the past years as well as the latest, especially in the East Asian region where emission amount of anthropogenic air pollutants have increased year by year due to rapid economic growth. The survey was conducted for 5 years in East Asia and West Oceania (35°N–35°S, 100–135°E) in August and September in 1990’s. The purpose of the survey was to study and understand the chemistry of deposition and the concentration of tropospheric ozone and particulate sulfate in the ocean atmosphere comprehensively in one project. Rainfall over the ocean was insufficiently neutralized. Gas and aerosol over the ocean were mature, i.e., well-mixed, during the period of the transportation. The characteristic latitudinal dependence was observed in the tropospheric ozone concentration, namely, higher in the southern hemisphere and lower in the northern hemisphere (approximately 25 ppb in the 10–40°S region and 5–15 ppb in the 20–40°N region). On the other hand, high concentrations of tropospheric ozone of over 30 ppb were observed in the northern hemisphere, which was attributable to the long-range transportation. The TSP concentration was approximately under the level of 40 μg m^?3 irrespectively of the latitude; in contrast, the nss-SO₄ ^2- concentration showed a clear latitudinal dependence, i.e., higher in the northern hemisphere and lower in the southern hemisphere. The background levels of the nss-SO₄ ^2- concentration were approximately 0.5 μg m^?3 in the 10–40°S region and 2–3 μg m^?3 and 4–5 μg m^?3 in the 0–20°N and 20–40°N regions, respectively.     

Impact of a dust storm on characteristics of particle matter (PM) in Guangzhou, China

A strong dust-storm (23–25 April, 2009) occurred in the provinces of Inner Mongolia, Gansu, and Shanxi, North China. Cities along the storm path (from north to south: Xi’ning, Lanzhou, Chengdu, Changsha, and Guangzhou) all experienced a sharp increase in particle matter (PM₁₀) concentration. This is the first case that an Asian dust storm hit Guangzhou in Southern China. The impacts of dust storm on the characteristics of PM were investigated using samples collected in Guangzhou during 27–29 April, 2009. In addition, the mass concentration and chemical composition during a normal non-dust period (12–14 May, 2009) were compared with those in dust period. The results show that the concentration of PM₁₀ during the dust episode (0.231 mg m^?3) was twice higher than that in the non-dust episode (0.103 mg m^?3). Chemical analysis showed that concentrations of metal elements, enrichment factors of metal elements, and soluble ions during the dust episode were very different from those of non-dust. The total concentration of metal elements content in PM₁₀ was 53.5 μg m^?3 in the dust episode, which is about two times higher than that in non-dust episode (28.5 μg m^?3). Increases in concentrations of Na, Ti, Zn, Cu, and Cr ranged from zero to 100% during the dust episode. However, the enrichment factors in non-dust episode were higher than that in dust-storm period, indicating that the above five chemicals originated mainly from local sources in Guangzhou. The concentrations of K, Mg, Al, Fe, Mn, V, and Co increased by over 100% in the dust episode, indicating their origins of remote sources. In the dust period, some water-soluble ions increased in PM₁₀, but the main components in PM₁₀ were SO₄ ^?, NO₃ ^? and NH₄ ⁺. At last, we assessed the sources of dusts by analyzing synoptic situation and back trajectories of air mass in Guangzhou, and demonstrated that the main source of the dust storm was from Mongolia.