Source apportionment of size resolved particulate matter at a European air pollution hot spot

Sci Total Environ. 2015 Jan 1:502:172-83. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.09.021. Epub 2014 Sep 26.

Abstract

Positive Matrix Factorization-PMF was applied to hourly resolved elemental composition of fine (PM0.15-1.15) and coarse (PM1.15-10) aerosol particles to apportion their sources in the airshed of residential district, Ostrava-Radvanice and Bartovice in winter 2012. Multiple-site measurement by PM2.5 monitors complements the source apportionment. As there were no statistical significant differences amongst the monitors, the source apportionment derived for the central site data is expected to apply to whole residential district. The apportioned sources of the fine aerosol particles were coal combustion (58.6%), sinter production-hot phase (22.9%), traffic (15%), raw iron production (3.5%), and desulfurization slag processing (<0.5%) whilst road dust (47.3%), sinter production-cold phase (27.7%), coal combustion (16.8%), and raw iron production (8.2%) were resolved being sources of the coarse aerosol particles. The shape and elemental composition of size-segregated aerosol airborne-sampled by an airship aloft presumed air pollution sources helped to interpret the PMF solution.

Keywords: Airship; Coarse and fine aerosol; Highly time resolved elemental composition; Positive Matrix Factorization; Rotating drum impactor.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aerosols / analysis
  • Air Pollutants / analysis*
  • Air Pollution / statistics & numerical data
  • Environmental Monitoring*
  • Particulate Matter / analysis*
  • Seasons
  • Vehicle Emissions / analysis

Substances

  • Aerosols
  • Air Pollutants
  • Particulate Matter
  • Vehicle Emissions