scholarly journals Source Apportionment of PM2.5 in Florence (Italy) by PMF Analysis of Aerosol Composition Records

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 484
Author(s):  
Silvia Nava ◽  
Giulia Calzolai ◽  
Massimo Chiari ◽  
Martina Giannoni ◽  
Fabio Giardi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Source Apportionment ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Saharan Dust ◽  
High Time Resolution ◽  
Aerosol Composition ◽  
Emission Analysis ◽  
Background Site ◽  
Regional Background ◽  
Traffic Site

An extensive field campaign was carried out in Florence (Tuscany) to investigate the PM2.5 composition and to identify its sources. The scientific objective of this study is providing a reliable source apportionment, which is mandatory for the application of effective mitigation actions. Particulate matter (PM) was collected for one year, simultaneously in a traffic site, in an urban background, and in a regional background site. While the use of two filter types (quartz and Teflon) allowed obtaining a comprehensive chemical characterization (elemental and organic carbon, ions, elements) by the application of different analytical techniques, the location of the three sampling sites allowed getting a better separation among local, urban, regional and transboundary sources. During shorter periods, the aerosol was also collected by means of a streaker sampler and PIXE (Particle Induced X-ray Emission) analysis of these samples allowed the assessment of hourly resolution elemental time trends. Positive matrix factorisation (PMF) identified seven main sources: traffic, biomass burning, secondary sulphate, secondary nitrates, urban dust, Saharan dust and marine aerosol. Traffic mass concentration contributions were found to be strong only at the traffic site (~8 μg·m−3, 33% of PM2.5). Biomass burning turned out to be an important PM2.5 source in Florence (~4 μg·m−3), with very similar weights in both city sites while at the regional background site its weight was negligible. Secondary sulphate is an important PM2.5 source on a regional scale, with comparable values in all three sites (~3.5 μg·m−3). On average, the contribution of the “natural” components (e.g., mineral dust and marine aerosols) to PM2.5 is moderate (~1 μg·m−3) except during Saharan dust intrusions where this contribution is higher (detected simultaneously in all three sites). High-time resolution data confirmed and reinforced these results.

scholarly journals Exploration of PM<sub>2.5</sub> sources on the regional scale in the Pearl River Delta based on ME-2 modeling

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (16) ◽  
pp. 11563-11580 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao-Feng Huang ◽  
Bei-Bing Zou ◽  
Ling-Yan He ◽  
Min Hu ◽  
André S. H. Prévôt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Source Apportionment ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Pollution Control ◽  
Pearl River Delta ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Pearl River ◽  
Industrial Emissions ◽  
Annual Average ◽  
The Pearl River Delta ◽  
The Pearl River

Abstract. The Pearl River Delta (PRD) of China, which has a population of more than 58 million people, is one of the largest agglomerations of cities in the world and had severe PM2.5 pollution at the beginning of this century. Due to the implementation of strong pollution control in recent decades, PM2.5 in the PRD has continuously decreased to relatively lower levels in China. To comprehensively understand the current PM2.5 sources in the PRD to support future air pollution control strategies in similar regions, we performed regional-scale PM2.5 field observations coupled with a state-of-the-art source apportionment model at six sites in four seasons in 2015. The regional annual average PM2.5 concentration based on the 4-month sampling was determined to be 37 µg m−3, which is still more than 3 times the WHO standard, with organic matter (36.9 %) and SO42- (23.6 %) as the most abundant species. A novel multilinear engine (ME-2) model was first applied to a comprehensive PM2.5 chemical dataset to perform source apportionment with predetermined constraints, producing more environmentally meaningful results compared to those obtained using traditional positive matrix factorization (PMF) modeling. The regional annual average PM2.5 source structure in the PRD was retrieved to be secondary sulfate (21 %), vehicle emissions (14 %), industrial emissions (13 %), secondary nitrate (11 %), biomass burning (11 %), secondary organic aerosol (SOA, 7 %), coal burning (6 %), fugitive dust (5 %), ship emissions (3 %) and aged sea salt (2 %). Analyzing the spatial distribution of PM2.5 sources under different weather conditions clearly identified the central PRD area as the key emission area for SO2, NOx, coal burning, biomass burning, industrial emissions and vehicle emissions. It was further estimated that under the polluted northerly air flow in winter, local emissions in the central PRD area accounted for approximately 45 % of the total PM2.5, with secondary nitrate and biomass burning being most abundant; in contrast, the regional transport from outside the PRD accounted for more than half of PM2.5, with secondary sulfate representing the most abundant transported species.

scholarly journals Source apportionment of PM<sub>2.5</sub> at a regional background site in North China using PMF linked with radiocarbon analysis: insight into the contribution of biomass burning

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (17) ◽  
pp. 11249-11265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Zong ◽  
Xiaoping Wang ◽  
Chongguo Tian ◽  
Yingjun Chen ◽  
Lin Qu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Source Apportionment ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Coal Combustion ◽  
North China ◽  
Fine Particles ◽  
Vehicle Emission ◽  
Shandong Peninsula ◽  
Air Masses ◽  
Background Site ◽  
Bth Region

Abstract. Source apportionment of fine particles (PM2.5) at a background site in North China in the winter of 2014 was done using statistical analysis, radiocarbon (14C) measurement and positive matrix factorization (PMF) modeling. Results showed that the concentration of PM2.5 was 77.6 ± 59.3 µg m−3, of which sulfate (SO42−) concentration was the highest, followed by nitrate (NO3−), organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC) and ammonium (NH4+). As demonstrated by backward trajectory, more than half of the air masses during the sampling period were from the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region, followed by Mongolia and the Shandong Peninsula. Cluster analysis of chemical species suggested an obvious signal of biomass burning in the PM2.5 from the Shandong Peninsula, while the PM2.5 from the BTH region showed a vehicle emission pattern. This finding was further confirmed by the 14C measurement of OC and EC in two merged samples. The 14C result indicated that biogenic and biomass burning emission contributed 59 ± 4 and 52 ± 2 % to OC and EC concentrations, respectively, when air masses originated from the Shandong Peninsula, while the contributions fell to 46 ± 4 and 38 ± 1 %, respectively, when the prevailing wind changed and came from the BTH region. The minimum deviation between source apportionment results from PMF and 14C measurement was adopted as the optimal choice of the model exercises. Here, two minor overestimates with the same range (3 %) implied that the PMF result provided a reasonable source apportionment of the regional PM2.5 in this study. Based on the PMF modeling, eight sources were identified; of these, coal combustion, biomass burning and vehicle emission were the main contributors of PM2.5, accounting for 29.6, 19.3 and 15.9 %, respectively. Compared with overall source apportionment, the contributions of vehicle emission, mineral dust, coal combustion and biomass burning increased when air masses came from the BTH region, Mongolia and the Shandong Peninsula, respectively. Since coal combustion and vehicle emission have been considered as the leading emission sources to be controlled for improving air quality, biomass burning was highlighted in the present study.

scholarly journals PMF and PSCF based source apportionment of PM2.5 at a regional background site in North China

2018 ◽  
Vol 203 ◽  
pp. 207-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Zong ◽  
Xiaoping Wang ◽  
Chongguo Tian ◽  
Yingjun Chen ◽  
Shanfei Fu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Source Apportionment ◽  
North China ◽  
Background Site ◽  
Regional Background

scholarly journals Fossil versus contemporary sources of fine elemental and organic carbonaceous particulate matter during the DAURE campaign in Northeast Spain

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 23573-23618 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. Minguillón ◽  
N. Perron ◽  
X. Querol ◽  
S. Szidat ◽  
S. M. Fahrni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Source Apportionment ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Atmospheric Aerosols ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Carbonaceous Aerosol ◽  
Carbonaceous Aerosols ◽  
Background Site

Abstract. We present results from the international field campaign DAURE (Determination of the sources of atmospheric Aerosols in Urban and Rural Environments in the western Mediterranean), with the objective of apportioning the sources of fine carbonaceous aerosols. Submicron fine particulate matter (PM1) samples were collected during February-March 2009 and July 2009 at an urban background site in Barcelona (BCN) and at a forested regional background site in Montseny (MSY). We present radiocarbon (14C) analysis for elemental and organic carbon (EC and OC) and source apportionment for these data. We combine the results with those from component analysis of aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) measurements, and compare to levoglucosan-based estimates of biomass burning OC, source apportionment of filter data with inorganic+EC+OC speciation, submicron bulk potassium (K) concentrations, and gaseous acetonitrile concentrations. At BCN, 87 % and 91 % of the EC on average, in winter and summer, respectively, had a fossil origin, whereas at MSY these fractions were 66 % and 79 %. The contribution of fossil sources to organic carbon (OC) at BCN was 40 % and 48 %, in winter and summer, respectively, and 31 % and 25 % at MSY. The combination of results obtained using the 14C technique, AMS data, and the correlations between fossil OC and fossil EC imply that the fossil OC at Barcelona is ~65 % primary whereas at MSY the fossil OC is mainly secondary (~85 %). Day-to-day variation in total carbonaceous aerosol loading and the relative contributions of different sources predominantly depended on the meteorological transport conditions. The estimated biogenic secondary OC at MSY only increased by ~40 % compared to the order-of-magnitude increase observed for biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) between winter and summer, which highlights the uncertainties in the estimation of that component. Biomass burning contributions estimated using the 14C technique ranged from similar to higher than when estimated using other techniques, and the different estimations were highly or moderately correlated. Differences can be explained by the contribution of secondary organic matter (not included in the primary biomass burning source estimates), and/or by an overestimation of the biomass burning OC contribution by the 14C technique if the estimated biomass burning EC/OC ratio used for the calculations is too high for this region. Acetonitrile concentrations correlate well with the biomass burning EC determined by 14C. K is a noisy tracer for biomass burning.

scholarly journals AIRUSE-LIFE+: a harmonized PM speciation and source apportionment in five southern European cities

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 3289-3309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fulvio Amato ◽  
Andrés Alastuey ◽  
Angeliki Karanasiou ◽  
Franco Lucarelli ◽  
Silvia Nava ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Source Apportionment ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
The Other ◽  
Saharan Dust ◽  
Industrial Emissions ◽  
Large Variability ◽  
Pm10 And Pm2.5 ◽  
Local Dust

Abstract. The AIRUSE-LIFE+ project aims at characterizing similarities and heterogeneities in particulate matter (PM) sources and contributions in urban areas from southern Europe. Once the main PMx sources are identified, AIRUSE aims at developing and testing the efficiency of specific and non-specific measures to improve urban air quality. This article reports the results of the source apportionment of PM10 and PM2.5 conducted at three urban background sites (Barcelona, Florence and Milan, BCN-UB, FI-UB and MLN-UB), one suburban background site (Athens, ATH-SUB) and one traffic site (Porto, POR-TR). After collecting 1047 PM10 and 1116 PM2.5 24 h samples during 12 months (from January 2013 on) simultaneously at the five cities, these were analysed for the contents of OC, EC, anions, cations, major and trace elements and levoglucosan. The USEPA PMF5 receptor model was applied to these data sets in a harmonized way for each city. The sum of vehicle exhaust (VEX) and non-exhaust (NEX) contributes between 3.9 and 10.8 µg m−3 (16–32 %) to PM10 and 2.3 and 9.4 µg m−3 (15–36 %) to PM2.5, although a fraction of secondary nitrate is also traffic-related but could not be estimated. Important contributions arise from secondary particles (nitrate, sulfate and organics) in PM2.5 (37–82 %) but also in PM10 (40–71 %), mostly at background sites, revealing the importance of abating gaseous precursors in designing air quality plans. Biomass burning (BB) contributions vary widely, from 14–24 % of PM10 in POR-TR, MLN-UB and FI-UB, 7 % in ATH-SUB, to  <  2 % in BCN-UB. In PM2.5, BB is the second most important source in MLN-UB (21 %) and in POR-TR (18 %), the third one in FI-UB (21 %) and ATH-SUB (11 %), but is again negligible (< 2 %) in BCN-UB. This large variability among cities is mostly due to the degree of penetration of biomass for residential heating. In Barcelona natural gas is very well supplied across the city and is used as fuel in 96 % of homes, while in other cities, PM levels increase on an annual basis by 1–9 µg m−3 due to biomass burning influence. Other significant sources are the following. – Local dust, 7–12 % of PM10 at SUB and UB sites and 19 % at the TR site, revealing a contribution from road dust resuspension. In PM2.5 percentages decrease to 2–7 % at SUB-UB sites and 15 % at the TR site. – Industry, mainly metallurgy, contributing 4–11 % of PM10 (5–12 % in PM2.5), but only at BCN-UB, POR-TR and MLN-UB. No clear impact of industrial emissions was found in FI-UB and ATH-SUB. – Natural contributions from sea salt (13 % of PM10 in POR-TR, but only 2–7 % in the other cities) and Saharan dust (14 % in ATH-SUB, but less than 4 % in the other cities). During high pollution days, the largest sources (i.e. excluding secondary aerosol factors) of PM10 and PM2.5 are VEX + NEX in BCN-UB (27–22 %) and POR-TR (31–33 %), BB in FI-UB (30–33 %) and MLN-UB (35–26 %) and Saharan dust in ATH-SUB (52–45 %). During those days, there are also quite important industrial contributions in BCN-UB (17–18 %) and local dust in POR-TR (28–20 %).

Source apportionment of PM 2.5 at the Lin'an regional background site in China with three receptor models

2018 ◽  
Vol 202 ◽  
pp. 23-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junjun Deng ◽  
Yanru Zhang ◽  
Yuqing Qiu ◽  
Hongliang Zhang ◽  
Wenjiao Du ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Source Apportionment ◽  
Pm 2.5 ◽  
Receptor Models ◽  
Background Site ◽  
Regional Background

scholarly journals Radiocarbon-Based Source Apportionment of Carbonaceous Aerosols at a Regional Background Site on Hainan Island, South China

2014 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 2651-2659 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan-Lin Zhang ◽  
Jun Li ◽  
Gan Zhang ◽  
Peter Zotter ◽  
Ru-Jin Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Source Apportionment ◽  
South China ◽  
Hainan Island ◽  
Carbonaceous Aerosols ◽  
Background Site ◽  
Regional Background

scholarly journals Source apportionment of PM<sub>10</sub> in a North-Western Europe regional urban background site (Lens, France) using Positive Matrix Factorization and including primary biogenic emissions

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 25325-25385 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Waked ◽  
O. Favez ◽  
L. Y. Alleman ◽  
C. Piot ◽  
J.-E. Petit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Source Apportionment ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Matrix Factorization ◽  
Iteration Process ◽  
Positive Matrix Factorization ◽  
Biogenic Emissions ◽  
Positive Matrix ◽  
Urban Background ◽  
Background Site ◽  
Urban Background Site

Abstract. In this work, the source of ambient particulate matter (PM10) collected over a one year period at an urban background site in Lens (France) were determined and investigated using a~Positive Matrix Factorization receptor model (US EPA PMF v3.0). In addition, a Potential Source Contribution Function (PSCF) was performed by means of the Hysplit v4.9 model to assess prevailing geographical origins of the identified sources. A selective iteration process was followed for the qualification of the more robust and meaningful PMF solution. Components measured and used in the PMF include inorganic and organic species: soluble ionic species, trace elements, elemental carbon (EC), sugars alcohols, sugar anhydride, and organic carbon (OC). The mean PM10 concentration measured from March 2011 to March 2012 was about 21 μg m−3 with typically OM, nitrate and sulfate contributing to most of the mass and accounting respectively for 5.8, 4.5 and 2.3 μg m−3 on a yearly basis. Accordingly, PMF outputs showed that the main emission sources were (in a decreasing order of contribution): secondary inorganic aerosols (28% of the total PM10 mass), aged marine emissions (19%), with probably predominant contribution of shipping activities, biomass burning (13%), mineral dust (13%), primary biogenic emissions (9%), fresh sea salts (8%), primary traffic emissions (6%) and heavy oil combustion (4%). Significant temporal variations were observed for most of the identified sources. In particular, biomass burning emissions were negligible in summer but responsible for about 25% of total PM10 and 50% of total OC at wintertime. Conversely, primary biogenic emissions were found to be negligible in winter but to represent about 20% of total PM10 and 40% of total OC in summer. The latter result calls for more investigations of primary biogenic aerosols using source apportionment studies, which quite usually disregards this type of sources. This study furthermore underlines the major influence of secondary processes during daily threshold exceedances. Finally, apparent discrepancies that could be generally observed between filter-based studies (such as the present one) and Aerosol Mass Spectrometer-based PMF analyses (organic fractions) are also discussed here.

scholarly journals Fossil versus contemporary sources of fine elemental and organic carbonaceous particulate matter during the DAURE campaign in Northeast Spain

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (23) ◽  
pp. 12067-12084 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. Minguillón ◽  
N. Perron ◽  
X. Querol ◽  
S. Szidat ◽  
S. M. Fahrni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Source Apportionment ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Atmospheric Aerosols ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Carbonaceous Aerosol ◽  
Carbonaceous Aerosols ◽  
Background Site

Abstract. We present results from the international field campaign DAURE (Determination of the sources of atmospheric Aerosols in Urban and Rural Environments in the Western Mediterranean), with the objective of apportioning the sources of fine carbonaceous aerosols. Submicron fine particulate matter (PM1) samples were collected during February–March 2009 and July 2009 at an urban background site in Barcelona (BCN) and at a forested regional background site in Montseny (MSY). We present radiocarbon (14C) analysis for elemental and organic carbon (EC and OC) and source apportionment for these data. We combine the results with those from component analysis of aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) measurements, and compare to levoglucosan-based estimates of biomass burning OC, source apportionment of filter data with inorganic composition + EC + OC, submicron bulk potassium (K) concentrations, and gaseous acetonitrile concentrations. At BCN, 87 % and 91 % of the EC on average, in winter and summer, respectively, had a fossil origin, whereas at MSY these fractions were 66 % and 79 %. The contribution of fossil sources to organic carbon (OC) at BCN was 40 % and 48 %, in winter and summer, respectively, and 31 % and 25 % at MSY. The combination of results obtained using the 14C technique, AMS data, and the correlations between fossil OC and fossil EC imply that the fossil OC at Barcelona is ∼47 % primary whereas at MSY the fossil OC is mainly secondary (∼85 %). Day-to-day variation in total carbonaceous aerosol loading and the relative contributions of different sources predominantly depended on the meteorological transport conditions. The estimated biogenic secondary OC at MSY only increased by ∼40 % compared to the order-of-magnitude increase observed for biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) between winter and summer, which highlights the uncertainties in the estimation of that component. Biomass burning contributions estimated using the 14C technique ranged from similar to slightly higher than when estimated using other techniques, and the different estimations were highly or moderately correlated. Differences can be explained by the contribution of secondary organic matter (not included in the primary biomass burning source estimates), and/or by an overestimation of the biomass burning OC contribution by the 14C technique if the estimated biomass burning EC/OC ratio used for the calculations is too high for this region. Acetonitrile concentrations correlate well with the biomass burning EC determined by 14C. K is a noisy tracer for biomass burning.

scholarly journals Impacts of short-term mitigation measures on PM<sub>2.5</sub> and radiative effects: a case study from a regional background site near Beijing, China

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiyuan Wang ◽  
Suixin Liu ◽  
Nan Li ◽  
Wenting Dai ◽  
Yunfei Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Control Period ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Background Site ◽  
Regional Background ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Cooling Effects ◽  
Inorganic Aerosol ◽  
Bth Region

Abstract. An intensive measurement campaign was conducted in a regional background site near Beijing during the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (NCCPC) to investigate the effectiveness of short-term mitigation measures on PM2.5 and aerosol direct radiative forcing (DRF). Average mass concentration of PM2.5 and its major chemical composition are decreased by 20.6–43.1 % during the NCCPC control period compared with the non-control period. When considering days with the stable meteorological conditions, larger reduction of PM2.5 is found compared with that for all days. Further, a positive matrix factorization receptor model shows that the mass concentrations of PM2.5 from traffic-related emissions, biomass burning, industry processes, and mineral dust are reduced by 38.5–77.8 % during the NCCPC control period compared with the non-control period. However, there is no significant difference in PM2.5 from coal burning between these two periods, and an increasing trend of PM2.5 mass from secondary inorganic aerosol is found during the NCCPC control period. Two pollution episodes were occurred subsequently after the NCCPC control period. One is dominated by secondary inorganic aerosol, and the WRF-Chem model shows that the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region contributes 73.6 % of PM2.5 mass; the other is mainly caused by biomass burning, and the BTH region contributes 46.9 % of PM2.5 mass. Calculations based on a revised IMPROVE method show that organic matter (OM) is the largest contributor to the light extinction coefficient (bext) during the non-control period while NH4NO3 is the dominant contributor during the NCCPC control period. The Tropospheric Ultraviolet and Visible radiation model reveals that the average DRF values at the Earth's surface are −14.0 and −19.3 W m-2 during the NCCPC control and non-control periods, respectively, and the reduction ratios of DRF due to the decrease in PM2.5 components vary from 22.7–46.7 % during the NCCPC control period. Our study would further provide valuable information and dataset to help controlling the air pollution and alleviating the cooling effects of aerosols at the surface in Beijing.

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