Aerosol samples were collected in Phoenix, Arizona on eleven dates between July 1989 and April 1990. Elemental compositions were determined for approximately 1000 particles per sample using an electron microprobe with an energy-dispersive x-ray spectrometer. Fine-fraction samples (particle cut size of 1 to 2 μm) were analyzed for each date; coarse-fraction samples were also analyzed for four of the dates.The data were reduced using multivariate statistical methods. Cluster analysis was first used to define 35 particle types. 81% of all fine-fraction particles and 84% of the coarse-fraction particles were assigned to these types, which include mineral, metal-rich, sulfur-rich, and salt categories. "Zero-count" particles, consisting entirely of elements lighter than Na, constitute an additional category and dominate the fine fraction, reflecting the importance of anthropogenic air pollutants such as those emitted by motor vehicles. Si- and Ca-rich mineral particles dominate the coarse fraction and are also numerous in the fine fraction.
