Seasonal variation of particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons associated with PM10 in Guangzhou, China

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous pollutants in the urban atmosphere. An investigation on seasonal variation of PAHs in the urban atmosphere of Guangzhou, China was conducted in this study. 112 PM10 (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter < 10 μm) samples were collected at two sites between June 2002 and June 2003. PAHs were analyzed with GC–MS (gas chromatography–mass spectrometry). The result showed that PAHs exhibit distinct seasonal variation. The seasonal concentration for the ∑PAHs ranged from 8.11 to 106.26 ng m^− 3. The average ∑PAHs measured were highest in winter and lowest in summer. The PAHs distribution patterns were similar within each season at two sites. 5–6 ring PAHs were the abundant compounds, which accounted for 65–90% of ∑PAHs and benzo [b + k] fluoranthene dominated in four seasons. The PAHs concentration and distribution pattern fluctuated greatly in winter for the cold air current. Based on the different temperature in winter, the samples were split into two groups. PM10 and the abundance of the PAHs in winter-1 (temperature, 12–22 °C) were much greater than in winter-2 (temperature, 8–12 °C). In winter-1 benzo [b + k] fluoranthene and Indeno [1, 2, 3] pyrene dominated while chrysene and benzo [b + k] fluoranthene dominated in winter-2. Meteorological conditions such as wind speed and temperature had a strong influence on the seasonal variation. Potential sources of PAHs were identified using the molecular diagnostic ratios between PAHs. Results showed fossil fuel combustion may be the major source of PAHs at the two sites.     

Seasonal variation of PM10-bound PAHs in the atmosphere of Xiamen, China

PM₁₀ samples from a garden site (site A), an industrial-traffic intersection (site B), a residential site (site C) and an island site (site D) were collected at December 21–29, 2004; March 18–22, 2005; July 4–13, 2005 and October 24–28, 2005 in Xiamen. 15 priority PAHs compounds were analyzed by using a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS). The abundance and origin of PAHs are discussed to reveal seasonal variations in Xiamen air quality. Average concentrations of Σ15PAHs were 17.5 ng/m³, 3.7 ng/m³, 32.6 ng/m³ and 10.5 ng/m³ from spring to winter with the highest value in autumn. The dominant PAHs components in every season were low and middle molecular weight PAHs including phenanthrene, pyrene, fluoranthene and chrysene. Diagnostic ratios and PCA analysis identified the main sources of particle bound PAHs: mainly from both gasoline and diesel vehicles exhaust, with some contribution from coal combustion, industry emission and cooking sources.     

Aliphatic alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in atmospheric PM10 aerosols from Baoji, China: Implications for coal burning

Normal alkanes and PAHs in atmospheric PM₁₀ aerosols collected during 2008 winter and spring in Baoji, a mid-scale inland city of China, were determined on a molecular level. Concentrations of n-alkanes ranged from 232 to 3583 ng/m³ with an average of 1733 ng/m³ in winter and from 124 to 1160 ng/m³ with an average of 449 ng/m³ in spring, while PAHs in the PM₁₀ samples were 594 ± 405 and 128 ± 82 ng/m³ in the two seasons. Molecular compositions showed that CPI (odd/even) values of n-alkanes were close to unity for all the samples especially in winter, and diagnostic ratios of PAHs (e.g., Phe/(Phe + Ant), CPAH/ΣPAHs and IcdP/(IcdP + BghiP)) were found similar to those in coal burning smoke with a strong linear relationship (R² ≥ 0.85) between PAHs and fossil fuel derived n-alkanes, demonstrating that coal burning is the main source of n-alkanes and PAHs in the city, especially in winter due to house heating. Concentrations of the determined compounds in Baoji are much higher than those in Chinese mega-cities, suggesting that air pollution in small cities in the country is more serious and need more attention.     

Emissions of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by savanna fires

Although Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are known as anthropogenic compounds arising from the combustion or the pyrolysis of fossil fuels, they may be also emitted by the combustion of vegetation. A field study was carried out in January 1991 at Lamto (Ivory Coast) as part of the FOS DECAFE experiment (Fire Of Savanna). Some ground samplings were devoted to the qualitative and quantitative characterization of atmospheric emissions by savanna fires during prescribed burns and under background conditions. Specific collections for gaseous and particulate PAHs have shown that the African practice of burning the savanna biomass during the winter months is an important source of PAHs. These compounds are emitted mainly in gaseous form but a significant fraction, essentially heavy PAHs, is associated with fine carbonaceous particles and can therefore represent a hazard for human health, since some of these compounds are mutagenic and carcinogenic. Twelve compounds were identified during the fire episodes and in the atmospheric background. The total concentration in the fires is of the order of 10 ng m^–3 for the gas phase and from 0.1 to 1 ng m^–3 in the aerosols. In the atmospheric background the mean concentrations are regular, 0.15 ng m^–3 and 2 pg m^–3, respectively. These concentrations are comparable with what is observed in European rural zones. The particulate emissions of PAHs by the savanna fires are distinguished by the abundance of some compounds which can be considered as tracers, although they are also slightly emitted by fossil fuel sources. These compounds are essentially pyrene, chrysene and coronene. In the gas phase, although no individual PAH may be considered as specific of the biomass combustion emissions, the relative abundances of the main PAHs are characteristic of the biomass burning. The concentrations of pyrene and fluorene are always predominant; these compounds could be considered as characteristic emission products of smoldering and flaming episodes, respectively. In the background the PAH composition shows that in a tropical region the air consists of a mixture coming from the various sources, but the biomass combustion is by far the most important source.The fluxes of total PAH emitted by savanna biomass burning in Africa were estimated to be of the order of 17 and 600 ton yr^–1, respectively, for the particulate PAHs and the gaseous PAHs, respectively.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in urban air of Konya, Turkey

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were determined in urban air samples of Konya, Turkey between August 2006 and May 2007. The concentrations of pollutants in both the gas and particulate phase were separately analysed. The average total (gas + particulate) concentrations of PAHs, PCBs and OCPs were determined as 206 ng m^− 3, 0.106 ng m^− 3, 4.78 ng m^− 3 respectively. All of the investigated target compounds were dominantly found in the gas phase except OCPs. Higher air concentrations of PAHs were found at winter season while the highest concentrations of PCBs were determined in September. The highest OCPs were detected in October and in March. In urban air of Konya, PCB 28 and PCB 52 congeners represent 46% and 35% of total PCBs while Phenanthrene, Fluoranthene, Pyrene accounted for 29%, 13%, 10% of total PAHs. HCH compounds (α + β + γ + δ-HCH), total DDTs (p,p′-DDE, p,p′-DDD, p,p′-DDT), Endosulfan compounds (Endosulfan I, Endosulfan II, Endosulfan sulfate) were dominantly determined as 30%, 21%, 20% of total OCPs respectively. Considering the relation between these compounds with temperature, there was no significant correlation observed. Despite banned/restricted use in Turkey, some OCPs were determined in urban air. These results demonstrated that they are either illegally being used in the course of agricultural activity and gardens in Konya or they are residues of past use in environment. According to these results, it can be suggested that Konya is an actively contributing region to persistent organic pollutants in Turkey.     

Seasonal trend of particulate PAHs at Gosan, a background site in Korea between 2001 and 2002 and major factors affecting their levels

The concentrations of particulate Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured at Gosan, a background site in Korea for 1 year between November 2001 and November 2002. The total concentrations of 14 PAH compounds at Gosan were between 0.52 and 14.76 ng m^− 3 and about 3–15 times higher than those at other rural or remote sites in the world. Seasonal trend was observed for particulate PAHs concentrations at Gosan with higher levels during heating season due to increased fossil fuel usage and the movement of air parcels from Asian continent. Principal component factor analysis (PCF) for PAHs showed three factors; combination of coal combustion and vehicular emission, natural gas combustion, and unidentified one. However, PCF for the combined data of PAHs, inorganic ions, and elements revealed that the unidentified factor consists of crustal species, sea salts, and four PAH compounds. Thus, this factor is thought to be transport of crustal species with organics from combustion sources. The major variables which determine the sources of PAHs are the heating season and the movement of air parcels from Asian continent.     

Deposition of atmospheric particulate PCBs in suburban site of Turkey

Dry deposition and air concentration samples were collected from July 2004 to May 2005 at a suburban site in Turkey. A water surface sampler (WSS) was used to measure directly the dry deposition flux of particulate polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) while a high volume air sampler (HVAS) was employed to collect air samples. Particulate PCB concentrations accounted for 15% of total PCBs (gas + particle phase) at the site. The overall particulate phase PCB flux ranged from 2 to 160 ng m^− 2 d^− 1 with an average of 46.3 ± 40.6 ng m^− 2 d^− 1. Forty one PCB congeners were targeted in the samples while twenty one congeners were found to be higher than detection limits in deposition samples. Fluxes for homolog groups ranged between 0.9 (7-CBs) and 21.0 (3-CBs) ng m^− 2 d^− 1. Measured dry deposition fluxes were lower than the ones usually reported for urban sites. Average PCB dry deposition velocity, calculated using flux values and concurrently measured atmospheric concentrations, was 1.26 ± 1.86 cm s^− 1 depended on size distribution of particles, atmospheric PCB concentrations and meteorological conditions.     

Organic composition of atmospheric urban aerosol: Variations and sources of aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

The non-polar organic composition of airborne particulate matter was analysed over a two year period in an urban area under oceanic climate conditions (Errenteria, Basque Country, Spain). In addition, the distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) among different aerosol particle sizes was determined. Clues as to the origin of various particle types were gained by using scanning electron microscopy to view the morphology of the particulates in each size fraction. Samples were collected on glass fibre filters and analysed by means of soxhlet extraction and gas chromatography (either with a flame ionization detector or coupled to a mass spectrometry). In general, total PAH levels were moderate (0.96–50 ng m^− 3) as compared to other studies conducted in Europe, and showed clear seasonal variation with maxima in winter and minima in summer. Vehicular traffic was identified as a major source of PAHs in the study area. Regarding particle size, a bimodal distribution was observed. The large sized particles exhibited an apparent seasonal variation with higher concentrations in winter than in summer. The dependences between particle size, PAH distribution and meteorological variables were studied with multivariate statistics. Three main sources of organic compounds were identified: combustion, vegetation, and atmospheric oxidation.     

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。     

Pollutant dispersion characteristics in Dhaka city, Bangladesh

Air pollution is a major environmental concern in major cities around the world. The major causes of air pollution include rapid industrialization/urbanization and increased non environment-friendly energy production. This paper analyses the atmospheric pollutant such as carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM) dispersion characteristics of Dhaka city. The yearly and diurnal variations of pollutant concentration are described by taking into consideration of both meteorological and emission source parameters highlighting washout effect due to rainfall and inversion phenomena. Concentration of PM (both PM2.5 and PM10) and CO in the ambient air are measured for a period of one year with Airmetric Minivol air samplers and Gas Chromatographic (GC) technique, respectively. The trend over the year shows an increase in the monthly average hourly PM and CO concentrations in winter months (November to March) when both PM10 and PM2.5 annual average concentrations (about 130 and 95 ??g m^?3, respectively) exhibit levels exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines as well as exceed more than twice the national standards of annual PM10 (50 ??g m^?3) and PM2.5 (15 ??g m^?3) concentrations. Such high pollutant concentrations may have significant health implications for residents of Dhaka city. It is also found that the PM concentration increases with the increase of wind speed during dry winter season and is also influenced by transboundary air pollution. The data and subsequent recommendations can be useful in formulating air quality management strategies for the Dhaka city.     

Distribution and source apportionment of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from atmospheric particulate matter PM<Subscript>2.5</Subscript> in Beijing

A total of 11 PM2.5 samples were collected from October 2003 to October 2004 at 8 sampling sites in Beijing city. The PM2.5 concentrations are all above the PM2.5 pollution standard （65 μg m^-3） established by Environmental Protection Agency, USA （USEPA） in 1997 except for the Ming Tombs site. PM2.5 concentrations in winter are much higher than in summer. The 16 Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） listed as priority pollutants by USEPA in PM2.5 were completely identified and quantified by high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC） with variable wavelength detector （VWD） and fluorescence detector （FLD） employed. The PM2.5 concentrations indicate that the pollution situation is still serious in Beijing. The sum of 16 PAHs concentrations ranged from 22.17 to 5366 ng m^-3. The concentrations of the heavier molecular weight PAHs have a different pollution trend from the lower PAHs. Seasonal variations were mainly attributed to the difference in coal combustion emission and meteorological conditions. The source apportionment analysis suggests that PAHs from PM2.5 in Beijing city mainly come from coal combustion and vehicle exhaust emission. New measures about restricting coal combustion and vehicle exhaust must be established as soon as possible to improve the air pollution situation in Beijing city.     

PM10 and heavy metal measurements in an industrial area of southern Italy

Atmospheric particulate concentrations and heavy metal content are measured from March to July 2001 at an industrial site located in a rural zone of the southern Italy. PM₁₀ samples are collected by a low-volume sampler and each sample is analysed by AAS techniques for its content of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn. We measure also temperature, atmospheric pressure and relative humidity, and we collect anemometric data. The study purpose is the investigation of pollutant levels in an industrial area located in a rather unpolluted region and the characterization of the correlation structure among particulate concentrations, heavy metal content and local meteorological parameters. Data analysis is carried out by means of univariate and multivariate statistical methods. In the investigated period, the average value of PM₁₀ daily concentrations (24 μg Nm^− 3) does not exceed the national standard of 40 μg Nm^− 3 and only nine values are higher than the European daily limit value of 50 μg Nm^− 3. Particularly, the occurrence of two anomalous values (183 μg Nm^− 3 in 3 March and 94 μg Nm^− 3 in 22 June) seems to be related to no-local events as confirmed both by in situ data measured in the AQM network of Potenza city (about 10 km far from the study area) and by remote measurements performed in the same days. Regarding the heavy metal levels, we observe high levels of Cr (34 ng Nm^− 3), Ni (85 ng Nm^− 3) and Zn (214 ng Nm^− 3) in agreement with the local industrial source pattern. The multivariate analysis, carried out using meteorological parameters as exogenous variables, allow to evaluate the role of the different variables as driving factors of the correlation structure among the metals.     

Carbonaceous materials in size-segregated atmospheric aerosols from urban and coastal-rural areas at the Western European Coast

A high-volume cascade impactor, equipped with a PM10 inlet, was used to collect size-segregated aerosol samples during the summer of 2004 at two Portuguese locations: a coastal-rural area (Moitinhos) and an urban area (Oporto). Concentrations of airborne particulate matter (PM), total carbon (TC), organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) were determined for the following particle size ranges: < 0.49, 0.49–0.95, 0.95–3.0, and 3.0–10 µm. The total PM mass concentrations at the urban and coastal-rural sites ranged from 22.8 to 79.6 μg m^− 3 and 19.9 to 28.2 μg m^− 3, respectively, and more than 56% of the total aerosol mass was found in the fractions below 3.0 μm. At both locations the highest concentrations of OC and EC were found in the submicrometer size range. The regional variability for the OC and EC concentrations, with the highest concentrations being found in the urban area, was related to the contribution of local primary sources (mostly traffic emissions). It was also verified an enrichment of the small size particles in WSOC, representing on average 37.3(± 12.4)% and 59.7(± 18.0)% of OC in the very fine aerosol at the coastal-rural and urban areas, respectively. The amount of secondary OC calculated by the minimum OC/EC ratio method indicates that secondary organic aerosol formation was important throughout the study at both sites. The obtained results suggest that long-range transport and favourable summer conditions for photochemical oxidation are key factors determining secondary OC formation in the coastal-rural and urban areas. The ultraviolet absorption properties of the chromophoric constituents of the WSOC fractions were also different among the different particle size ranges and also between the two sampling locations, thus suggesting the strong impact of the diverse emission sources into the composition of the size-segregated organic aerosol.     

Particulate PAHs levels at Mt. Halla site in Jeju Island, Korea: Regional background levels in northeast Asia

The levels of PM.25 PAHs at Mt. Halla site, Jeju Island, a background site in Korea were observed between March 1999 and March 2002. A seasonal variation was observed for the particulate PAHs concentrations with high levels during cold season similar to Gosan, a nearby coastal background site, due to the seasonal variations of fossil fuel usage in Asia. The total average concentration of ambient particulate PAHs was 404 ± 579 pg m^− 3, about one order lower than the ambient level at Gosan. However, the ratios of the anthropogenic inorganic ion concentrations between Mt. Halla and Gosan were smaller, 1.5 for non sea-salt (nss) sulfate and 2.7 for nitrate. Two possible explanations for these characteristics are (1) two sites measured different air parcels and/or (2) the effect of local emissions were different at two sites. Based on the Bep/BaP ratio result, upper air wind direction data, backward trajectory analysis, and LIDAR measurement data at Gosan, it was found that the degree of the effects of local emissions to the sampling sites be the major reason for the different PAHs levels at two sites though, in some cases, the air parcels arriving at Mt. Halla were different from those arriving at Gosan. For secondary aerosol such as nss sulfate, the lower concentration difference indicates both site are affected by regional transport. It points that the measurement result for directly emitted species such as PAHs at Gosan might be significantly influenced by local emissions.     

Composition and major sources of organic compounds in urban aerosols

Total suspended particles (TSP), collected during June 2002 to July 2003 in Guangzhou, a typical economically developed city in South China, were analyzed for the organic compound compositions using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Over 140 organic compounds were detected in the aerosols and grouped into different classes including n-alkanes, hopanoids, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, alkanols, fatty acids, dicarboxylic acids excluding oxalic acid, polyols/polyacids, lignin products, phytosterols, phthalates and water-soluble sugars. The total amounts of the identified organic compounds including unresolved complex mixture (UCM) ranged from 3112 ng/m³ in spring to 5116 ng/m³ in winter, comprising on seasonal average 2.8% of TSP. Primary organic compounds peaked in winter although there are no heating systems burning fuels in Guangzhou. The highest saccharide levels occurred in fall due to agricultural activities. This study demonstrated that utilization of fossil fuels, biomass burning, soil resuspension and plastic/refuse burning are the major contributors to the identified organic compounds in the urban atmosphere of South China.     

Study of seasonal variation of PM2.5 concentration associated with meteorological parameters at residential sites in Delhi,India

The seasonal variation of particulate matter and its relationship with meteorological parameters were measured at five different residential sites in Delhi. Sampling was carried out for one year including all three seasons (summer, monsoon, and winter). The yearly average concentration of particulate matter (PM_2.5) was 135.16 ± 41.34 µg/m³. The highest average values were observed in winter (208.44 ± 43.67 µg/m³) and the lowest during monsoon season (80.29 ± 39.47 µg/m³). The annual average concentration of PM_2.5 was found to be the highest at the Mukherjee Nagar site (242.16 µg/m³ ) during the winter and lowest at (Jawaharlal Nehru University) JNU (35.65 µg/m³) during the monsoon season. The strongest correlation between PM mass and a meteorological parameter was a strong negative correlation with temperature (R2=0.55). All other parameters were weakly correlated (R2<0.2) with PM mass.

     

Chemical characteristics of haze during summer and winter in Guangzhou

Airborne particles were collected with a 10-stage MOUDI and a PM₁₀ sampler in Guangzhou, China, during both haze and normal days in the summer of 2002 and 2003, and winter 2002. The characteristics of PAHs, organic carbon, elemental carbon and water-soluble inorganic ions were studied under four periods (summer normal, summer haze, winter normal and winter haze). In this study, secondary pollutants (OC, SO₄²⁻, NO₃⁻ and NH₄⁺) were the major chemical components and appeared to show a remarkably rapid increase from normal to haze days. The particle mass size distributions were bimodal and dominated by fine particles in haze days. A significantly higher OC/EC ratio was found in haze days (3.2–4.7) compared to normal days (1.8–2.8), indicating secondary organic aerosol formation might be significant during haze days. Correlation analysis between visibility and chemical species showed that the major scattering species were TC (total carbon) and sulfate in normal days and nitrate and TC in haze days, respectively. Simultaneously, correlation analysis between visibility and meteorological factors demonstrated that visibility increased with both temperature and wind speed, while it decreased with relative humidity. Furthermore, the relatively higher value of IcdP/(BghiP + IcdP) and the low value of Cmax, CPI, and BghiP/BeP in winter haze could be due to the growth of motor vehicle usage and energy consumption in winter.     

Aerosol black carbon measurements in the Arctic haze during AGASP-II

During the second Arctic Gas and Aerosol Sampling Program conducted in April 1986, we performed measurements of the optically absorbing carbonaceous component of the ambient aerosol from the NOAA WP-3D aircraft operating between sea level and 10 km altitude. We collected the aerosol of filters that were exposed for several hours; we also operated the aethalometer to measure the concentration of aerosol black carbon in real time. The filter analyses represent averages over the altitude range and time span during which the filter was collecting. The real-time results were sorted by altitude to calculate vertical profiles of black carbon concentration. Values typically ranged from 300 to 500 ng m^–3 at lower altitudes, decreasing gradually to 25 to 100 ng m^–3 at 8–10 km. Strong stratification at lower altitudes was frequently observed. The magnitude of these concentrations suggests that the sources are distant regions of considerable fuel consumption. The presence of this material in the tropospheric column and its probable deposition to the high-albedo surface may result in perturbations of the solar radiation balance. The concentrations measured at the highest altitudes may mean that particulate carbon and accompanying emissions for which it is a tracer are mixing into the stratosphere.     

A source study of PM in Saxony by Size-Segregated Characterisation

Airborne particulate matter in Saxony (Germany) was investigated at three different sites (central urban, urban outskirts, rural) during a winter (1999/2000) and a summer (2000) campaign. PM was collected simultaneously at all three sites using five-stage Berner impactors. Besides size-segregated chemical particle characterisation and mass closure source apportionment of the particle components, especially of the carbonaceous fraction was an aim of the study. Source apportionment was performed exclusively on the basis of experimental data without support of models considering a set of basic assumptions and logical deductions. The derived simple equations permit to differentiate the carbonaceous fraction in traffic, domestic heating (winter) and biogenic (summer) contributions.The total carbon (TC) in the smallest particle size range (Dp_aer = 0.05-0.14μm) at the urban site, contributing 88% to the mass in that class, was completely attributed to traffic emissions. For the particle size range Dp_aer = 0.42-1.2 μm (50-60% of the total mass) TC was attributed to traffic (67%) and domestic heating (33%) in winter and to traffic (82%) and biogenic origin (18%) in summer.Size-segregated determination of alkanes revealed that these compounds were mainly of biogenic origin in summer and of anthropogenic origin in winter considering the carbon preference index (CPI_odd). Particulate PAHs found in winter samples originated mainly from domestic heating and not from traffic emissions.The method described cannot provide complete results, but the demonstrated source apportionment can be helpful to assess a given situation with regard to possible steps against the exceeding of the EU limit of the PM₁₀ mass concentration of 50 μg m⁻³.     

Characteristics of biomass burning aerosol and its impact on regional air quality in the summer of 2003 at Gwangju, Korea

The main objective of this study is to investigate the chemical characteristics of biomass burning aerosol and its impact on regional air quality during an agricultural waste burning period in early summer in the rural areas of Korea. A 12-h integrated intensive sampling of biomass burning aerosol in the fine and coarse modes was conducted on 2–20 June 2003 in Gwangju, Korea. The collected samples were analyzed for concentrations of mass, ionic, elemental, and carbonaceous species. Average concentrations of fine and coarse mass were measured to be 67.9 and 18.7 μg m^− 3 during the biomass burning period, 41.9 and 18.8 μg m^− 3 during the haze period, and 35.6 and 13.3 μg m^− 3 during the normal period, respectively. An exceptionally high PM_2.5 concentration of 110.3 μg m^− 3 with a PM_2.5/PM₁₀ ratio of 0.79 was observed on 6 June 2003 during the biomass burning period. The potassium ratio method was used to identify biomass burning samples. The average ratio of potassium in the fine mode to the coarse mode (FK/CK) was 23.8 during the biomass burning period, 6.0 during the haze period, and 4.7 during the normal period, respectively. A FK/CK ratio above 9.2 was considered a criterion for biomass burning event in this study. Particulate matter from the open field burning of agricultural waste has an adverse impact on visibility, human health, and regional air quality.