Chemical characteristics of fine particles during spring dust storm dominant period in two Chinese cities, Baotou and Wuwei

Mineral dust, including dust storm, fugitive and floating dust are the most important components of ambient aerosol in northern China during spring. Meanwhile, it goes through heating period when fossil fuel combustion acts as a dominant source. In order to understand the chemical characteristics of fine particles in North China, two sampling sites was established in Baotou City in the west of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Wuwei City near the edge of Gobi to collect fine particles （PM 2.5） samples in the spring of 2004 and 2005, and analyze mass concentrations, ionic species and some element components of PM 2.5. The results indicated that dust events elevated the mass concentrations of particulate matter significantly, not only for coarse particles, but also for fine particles. Crustal components, organic matter and sulfates are three major compositions in fine particles, their mass concentrations and relative abundances are closely related with the frequency of dust events and coal combustion. The characteristics of fine particles are obviously diverse under different atmospheric conditions. （1） When the dust storms take place, the wind speeds are often higher than 10 m/s. A plenty of mineral aerosol is input from long distance, and also local soil dust is blown up to suspend in the air as particles. Therefore, the concentrations of PM 2.5 are enhanced dramatically. Mass concentrations and relative percentages of crustal components in PM 2.5 increased significantly during dust events. The mineral dust may help gas to particle conversation by heterogeneous reactions. Increases in mass concentrations of SO4^2-, NO3^- and NH4^＋ and organic matter in PM 2.5 were observed evidently. But their fractions in PM 2.5 do not increase simultaneously due to dilution of storing wind. （2） When wind velocity is lower （〈3 m/s）, air pollutants are accumulated, both mass concentrations of SO4^2-, NO3^- and NH4^＋ and organic matter, and their fractions in PM 2.5 increase, indicating severe anthropogenic pollution. The chemical characteristics of PM 2.5 in Baotou and Wuwei are also influenced by their industrial structure, topography and meteorological conditions.

Chemical characteristics of fine particles during spring dust storm dominant period in two Chinese cities, Baotou and Wuwei