Scholarly record
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF FINE AIR PARTICULATE MATTER IN URBAN CONDITIONS
Abstract
Airborne particulate matter (APM), and in particular its fine fraction PM2.5, is well known as an important pollutant in the urban atmosphere worldwide. The health effects of APMs depend not only on their size but also on their chemical composition. Black carbon (BC), heavy metals and other constituents can impact human health and climate. The main sources of BC are the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biomass burning and other organic materials. Resuspension of soil and road materials, secondary aerosol formation, and industrial emissions are major sources of many elements attached to the atmospheric aerosol. Studies on the chemical composition of APM in Bulgaria are limited. This study presents the results of a field sampling campaign of PM2.5 in urban background conditions of Sofia for the period June 2020-May 2021. The experiment involved sampling every 1 of 3 days within the IAEA TC RER7012 project. In addition, three more frequent periods of daily sampling in June-July, September-October 2020 and January-February 2021 to study seasonal variations within the national CARBOAEROSOL project conducted. All samples were analysed for BC by Multiwavelength Absorption Black instrument (MABI). The trace elements were analysed in 166 samples by the ED-XRF technique at the IMROH laboratory in Zagreb. Elements such as Al, S, Cl, K, Ca, Fe, Cu, and Zn were measured in practically all filter samples, while trace elements Sc, As, Ba, Sr, Cd, and I were above the MDL (minimum detection limit) in less than 5% of the samples. The PM2.5 mass concentration ranged from 3.94 to 104.5 ?g.m-3 with an average value of 14.6 ?g.m-3. The second highest concentration after Na (Sodium) is for S (Sulphur) with an average value of 707.4 ng.m-3. The maximum measured daily elemental concentration was for Chlorine (3861.5 ng.m-3). There was a weak correlation between the daily PM2.5 mass and elemental concentrations. Temporal and seasonal variations of the concentrations of PM2.5, BC and trace elements were analyzed in terms of meteorological conditions.
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