Particulate n-alkanes and fatty acids in the Changjiang river system

Particulate samples were collected from the Changjiang river system during a flood period, in May 1997, and POC, stable isotope and lipids associated with particles were examined. Results showed the decrease （0.84% ～ 1.88%） of organic carbon content from the upper reaches to the estuary.δ^13 values of particulate organic carbon was in the range of -24.9×10^-3 to -26.6×10^-3, which were close to the isotopic signature of continental C3 vegetation. Total particulate n-alkanes concentrations varied from 1.4 to 10.1μg/dm^3,or from 23.7 to 107μg/g of total suspended matter. Fatty acids were present in all the samples, from 1.4 to 5.4μg/dm^3, with saturated and unsaturated straight-chain and branched compounds in the carbon number range from C12 to C30. Both δ^13 and the ratio of carbon content to nitrogen content indicate the predominance of terrestrial inputs （soil organic matter） among the particles. The biomarker approach has been used to identify the relative portion of terrigenous and autochthonous fraction in the particulate samples. The distribution of fatty acids suggests a striking phytoplanktonic and microbial signal in most particle samples. The terrestrial alkanes are used to estimate the contribution of terrestrial inputs along the mainstream.

Changes on Stroke Burden Attributable to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter in China

Objective In recent decades,China has implemented a series of policies to address air pollution.We aimed to assess the health effects of these policies on stroke burden attributable to ambient fine particulate matter(PM_(2.5)).Methods Joinpoint regression was applied to explore the temporal tendency of stroke burden based on data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study.Results The age-standardized rates of disability-adjusted life year(DALY)for stroke attributable to ambient PM2.5 in China,increased dramatically during 1990-2012,subsequently decreased at an annual percentage change(APC)of-1.98[95% confidence interval(CI):-2.26,-1.71]during 2012-2019.For ischemic stroke(IS),the age-standardized DALY rates doubled from 1990 to 2014,and decreased at an APC of-0.83(95%CI:-1.33,-0.33)during 2014-2019.Intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH)showed a substantial increase in age-standardized DALY rates from 1990 to 2003,followed by declining trends,with APCs of-1.46(95%CI:-2.74,-0.16)during 2003-2007 and-3.33(95%CI:-3.61,-3.06)during 2011-2019,respectively.Conversely,the age-standardized DALY rates for subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH)generally declined during 1990-2019.Conclusion Our results clarified the dynamic changes of the ambient PM_(2.5)-attributable stroke burden in China during 1990-2019,highlighting the health effects of air quality improvement policies.

Ethyl acetate fraction of Sargassum pallidum extract attenuates particulate matter-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in keratinocytes and zebrafish

Objective:To evaluate the effect of the ethyl acetate fraction derived from Sargassum pallidum extract against particulate matter(PM)-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in HaCaT cells and zebrafish.Methods:HaCaT cells and zebrafish were used to evaluate the protective effects of the ethyl acetate fraction of Sargassum pallidum extract against PM-induced oxidative stress and inflammation.The production of nitric oxide(NO),intracellular ROS,prostaglandin E_(2)(PGE_(2)),and pro-inflammatory cytokines,and the expression levels of COX-2,iNOS,and NF-κB were evaluated in PM-induced HaCaT cells.Furthermore,the levels of ROS,NO,and lipid peroxidation were assessed in the PM-exposed zebrafish model.Results:The ethyl acetate fraction of Sargassum pallidum extract significantly decreased the production of NO,intracellular ROS,and PGE_(2) in PM-induced HaCaT cells.In addition,the fraction markedly suppressed the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inhibited the expression levels of COX-2,iNOS,and NF-κB.Furthermore,it displayed remarkable protective effects against PM-induced inflammatory response and oxidative stress,represented by the reduction of NO,ROS,and lipid peroxidation in zebrafish.Conclusions:The ethyl acetate fraction of Sargassum pallidum extract exhibits a protective effect against PM-induced oxidative stress and inflammation both in vitro and in vivo and has the potential as a candidate for the development of pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical products.

Chemical Determination of Base Status Metals in Soil Sediments and Particulate Matter in Wellington Industrial Estate Location

This research study explored the levels of base status metals in soil sediments and particulate matter in the wellington industrial estate location;the main objectives were to: 1) determine sodium and potassium, 2) determine calcium and magnesium, 3) determine available iron. The following hypotheses were put forward;H0a: there is no significant difference in the concentration levels between Ca and Mg in the study area, H1a: there is significant difference in the concentration levels between Ca and Mg in the study area, H0b: there is no significant difference in the concentration levels between Na and K in the study area, H1b: there is significant difference in the concentration levels between Na and K in the study area. Six locations were used to collect samples with the aid of scoop and gravel free auger (at varying depths of 0 - 5 cm and 5 - 10 cm) which are Wellington Industrial Estate Area 1 (WIEL 1), (WIEL 2), (WIEL 3), (WIEL 4), (WIEL 5), (WIEL 6);the samples were given laboratory treatment. Flame photometer, EDTA, and Spectrophotometer were used in the determinations of sodium and potassium, calcium and magnesium, and available iron respectively. The results indicated that levels of potassium were in medium range (moderately high);sodium levels were generally low when compared to Brook’s classification table. Levels of calcium were generally low and those of magnesium were moderate based on Brook’s table of classification. Levels of available iron which fall within the range of Quijano-Guerta (2003) were high;this implies such levels can lead to toxicity. In all locations, there was decrease in the levels of each metal in the samples with (5 - 10 cm) depth.

Modeling and Characterization of Fine Particulate Matter Dynamics in Bujumbura Using Low-Cost Sensors

Air pollution is a result of multiple sources including both natural and anthropogenic activities. The rapid urbanization of the cities such as Bujumbura, economic capital of Burundi, is one of these factors. The very first characterization of the spatio-temporal variability of PM2.5 in Bujumbura and the forecasting of PM2.5 concentration have been conducted in this paper using data collected during a year, from August 2022 to August 2023, by low-cost sensors installed in Bujumbura city. For each commune, an hourly, daily and seasonal analysis was carried out and the results showed that the mass concentrations of PM2.5 in the three municipalities differ from one commune to another. The average hourly and annual PM2.5 concentrations exceed the World Health Organization standards. The range is between 28.3 and 35.0 μg/m3. In order to make a prediction of PM2.5 concentration, an investigation of Recurrent Neural Networks with Long Short-Term Memory has been undertaken.

Characteristics and source identification of fine particulate n-alkanes in Beijing, China

Ambient particulate n-alkanes were determined for fine particle （PM2.5） samples collected from Sep 2003 to July 2004 in Beijing, China. The average concentration of total n-alkanes （∑n-alkanes） from Cll to C34 was 425.72 ng/m^3, ranged from 7.02 to 2893.28 ng/m^3. The concentration distributions of n-alkanes homologues in this study exhibited peaks at C21 and C29 in heating season, and C29 in non-heating season. The average carbon preference index （CPI） value was 1.88 in the range of 1.18-3.88. The maximum CPI in summer indicated the contribution of biogenic origins such as plant wax; while the minimum CPI value in winter was probably a result of fossil fuel combustion. Preliminary estimation from these results showed that 59% of the n-alkanes in PM2.5 in Beijing summer originated from plant wax, while 74%-88% was from fossil fuel combustion in other three seasons. Source estimation was further performed using principal component analysis method. Two major components were yielded accounting for 57.3% and 30.9% of the total variance, which presented the fossil fuel and biogenic contribution, respectively.

Morphology,Nanostructure,and Oxidation Reactivity of Particulate Matter Emitted by Diesel Blending with Various Aromatics

This study aims to analyze the influence of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon(PAH)content in diesel on the physical and chemical properties of diesel soot particles.Four diesel fuels with different PAH content were tested on a 11.6 L direct-injection diesel engine.The raw particulate matter(PM)before the after-treatment devices was collected using the thermophoresis sampling system and the filter sampling system.A transmission electron microscope and Raman spectrometer are used to analyze the physical properties of the soot particles,including morphology,primary particle size distribution,and graphitization degree.A Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and thermogravimetric analyzer are used to characterize the surface chemical composition and oxidation reactivity of soot particles,respectively.The results show that as the PAH content in the fuel decreases,the size of the primary soot particles decreases from 29.58 to 26.70 nm.The graphitization degree of soot particles first increases and then decreases,and the relative content of the aliphatic hydrocarbon functional groups of soot particles first decreases and then increases.The T_(10),T_(50),and T_(90) of soot from high-PAH fuel are 505.3,589.3,and 623.5℃,while those from low-PAH fuel are 480.1,557.5,and 599.2℃,respectively.This indicates that exhaust PM generated by the low-PAH fuel has poor oxidation reactivity.However,as the PAH content in fuel is further decreased,the excessively high cetane number may cause uneven mixing and incomplete combustion,leading to enhanced oxidation reactivity.

Particulate flow modelling in a spiral separator by using the Eulerian multi-fluid VOF approach

The Euler-Euler model is less effective in capturing the free surface of flow film in the spiral separator,and thus a Eulerian multi-fluid volume of fluid(VOF)model was first proposed to describe the particulate flow in spiral separators.In order to improve the applicability of the model in the high solid concentration system,the Bagnold effect was incorporated into the modelling framework.The capability of the proposed model in terms of predicting the flow film shape in a LD9 spiral separator was evaluated via comparison with measured flow film thicknesses reported in literature.Results showed that sharp air–water and air-pulp interfaces can be obtained using the proposed model,and the shapes of the predicted flow films before and after particle addition were reasonably consistent with the observations reported in literature.Furthermore,the experimental and numerical simulation of the separation of quartz and hematite were performed in a laboratory-scale spiral separator.When the Bagnold lift force model was considered,predictions of the grade of iron and solid concentration by mass for different trough lengths were more consistent with experimental data.In the initial development stage,the quartz particles at the bottom of the flow layer were more possible to be lifted due to the Bagnold force.Thus,a better predicted vertical stratification between quartz and hematite particles was obtained,which provided favorable conditions for subsequent radial segregation.

Ambient Fine Particulate Matter Exposure and Blood Pressure:Evidence from a Large Chinese Multiple Follow-Up Study

Objective This study aimed to investigate the association of ambient PM_(2.5)exposure with blood pressure(BP)at the population level in China.Methods A total of 14,080 participants who had at least two valid blood pressure records were selected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey during 2011–2015.Their long-term PM_(2.5)exposure was assessed at the geographical level,on the basis of a regular 0.1°×0.1°grid over China.A mixed-effects regression model was used to assess associations.Results Each decrease of 10μg/m^(3)in the 1 year-mean PM_(2.5)concentration(FPM1Y)was associated with a decrease of 1.24[95%confidence interval(CI):0.84–1.64]mmHg systolic BP(SBP)and 0.50(95%CI:0.25–0.75)mmHg diastolic BP(DBP),respectively.A robust association was observed between the long-term decrease in PM_(2.5)and decreased BP in the middle-aged and older population.Using a generalized additive mixed model,we further found that SBP increased nonlinearly overall with FPM1Y but in an approximately linear range when the FPM1Y concentration was<70μg/m^(3);In contrast,DBP increased approximately linearly without a clear threshold.Conclusion Efficient control of PM_(2.5)air pollution may promote vascular health in China.Our study provides robust scientific support for making the related air pollution control policies.

Forest management causes soil carbon loss by reducing particulate organic carbon in Guangxi, Southern China

Background: The loss of soil organic carbon(SOC) following conversion of natural forests to managed plantations has been widely reported. However, how different SOC fractions and microbial necromass C(MNC) respond to forest management practices remains unclear.Methods: We sampled 0–10 cm mineral soil from three different management plantations and one protected forest in Guangxi, Southern China, to explore how forest management practices affect SOC through changing mineralassociated C(MAOC) and particulate organic C(POC), as well as fungal and bacterial necromass C.Results: Compared with the protected forest, SOC and POC in the abandoned, mixed and Eucalyptus plantations significantly decreased, but MAOC showed no significant change, indicating that the loss of SOC was mainly from decreased POC under forest management. Forest management also significantly reduced root biomass, soil extractable organic C, MNC, and total microbial biomass(measured by phospholipid fatty acid), but increased fungi-to-bacteria ratio(F:B) and soil peroxidase activity. Moreover, POC was positively correlated with root biomass, total microbial biomass and MNC, and negatively with F:B and peroxidase activity. These results suggested that root input and microbial properties together regulated soil POC dynamics during forest management.Conclusion: Overall, this study indicates that forest management intervention significantly decreases SOC by reducing POC in Guangxi, Southern China, and suggests that forest protection can help to sequester more soil C in forest ecosystems.

Physicochemical Characterization of Settling Particulate Matter and Sediments

The thrust of this research study was to ascertain the physicochemical characteristic in settling particulate matter and sediments of samples collected from the wellington industrial estate flood plains;the main of objectives are as follows: to determine the hydrogen ion index (pH) of the samples collected in the study area, to determine the electrical conductivity (EC) of the samples collected from the same location. Samples were collected from six locations (at varying depths of 0 - 5 cm and 5 - 10 cm) sample area 1 (Wellington Industrial Estate Area 1) WIEA1 WIEA 2, WIEA 3, WIEA 4, WIEA 5 and WIEA 6 and were given laboratory treatment. A laboratory thermometer was used to determine temperature of the samples when collected;(Dakton model) pH meter equipment and a Toledo electrical conductivity meter were used to determine the pH and EC respectively. The results indicated that the samples were acidic (low pH) and the conductivity of the samples was of medium and low range. This therefore expressed low levels of soluble metal ions in the environment that have effect on plants, animals and other organisms, agricultural and domestic activities in the environment under investigation. Hence bioconcentration and biomagnification are highly likely in these locations.

Spatial Analysis of Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) in South St. Boniface and Mission Industrial Area, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) stays airborne for long periods and can enter the lungs, increasing respiratory and cardiovascular risks. Metal shredders are known sources of PM2.5, lead and other heavy metals. Winnipeg residents of South Saint Boniface (SSB) in Manitoba, Canada, live downwind of the Mission Industrial Area (MIA), which includes a metal shredder, train tracks and other industries. Residents are concerned about the MIA air and noise pollution and wanted ambient air quality monitoring in their mixed land-use area to understand its impact on their health. We measured and mapped the daytime PM2.5, from the MIA and South St. Boniface (SSB) neighborhoods using the Dylos DC 1700 PM over seven months. The Dylos air quality data for PM2.5 was validated by the two federal reference monitors in the city, finding a moderate to very strong correlation (r = 0.52 to 0.83;p-value 0.001), confirming good accuracy. A spatial analysis of the emission data showed that the highest pollution concentration was downwind of the scrap metal shredder in MIA. One-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation analysis revealed significantly higher levels of PM2.5 at MIA and SSB than at the reference sites, which are away from pollution sources. The PM2.5 Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standard (CAAQS) of 27 μg/m3 was exceeded downwind of the property line of the scrap metal shredder in the MIA for five of the 35 monitoring days averaging between 28.9 μg/m3 to 38.1 μg/m3 over eight hours. The standard was not exceeded in the residential area, although PM2.5 levels higher than background levels increased SSB residents exposure levels. This exceedance of regulatory standards requires action to reduce emissions.

Human Health Risks from Exposure to Heavy Metals of Suspended Particulate Matter around the Tongon Gold Mine, Côte d’Ivoire

The Tongon mine, the largest gold mine in C?te d’Ivoire, has been in operation since April 2010. However, to our knowledge to date, no study has been conducted on metallic contamination in suspended particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) where there is a lack of information on the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk to human health associated with the exposure of populations in the Tongon area to these pollutants. The general objective of this study is to evaluate the level of contamination of PM10;PM2.5 by heavy metals and their impact on the health of populations exposed to these pollutants in the Tongon gold mine area. The sampling and measurement of suspended particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) were done using a MiniVol TAS passive air sampler. Heavy metal concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (Nex ION 2000 ICP-MS, USA). The results indicate that the average concentrations of suspended particles (PM2.5 and PM10) obtained are all above the recommended exposure limits. In addition, among the heavy metals contained in the suspended particles, the concentrations of arsenic and nickel are high and all above the standard limit values. The assessment of the health risks related to the inhalation of PM10 particles reveals that their inhalation over a long period could cause a carcinogenic risk.

Spatial and Temporal Variation of Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5) and Its Health Effects during the Haze Event in Malaysia

This study aims to assess and compare levels of particulate matter(PM10 and PM2.5)in urban and industrial areas in Malaysia during haze episodes,which typically occur in the south west monsoon season.The high concentrations of atmospheric particles are mainly due to pollution from neighbouring countries.Daily PM concentrations were analysed for urban and industrial areas including Alor Setar,Tasek,Shah Alam,Klang,Bandaraya Melaka,Larkin,Balok Baru,and Kuala Terengganu in 2018 and 2019.The analysis employed spatiotemporal to examine how PM levels were distributed.The data summary revealed that PM levels in all study areas were right-skewed,indicating the occurrence of high particulate events.Significant peaks in PM concentrations during haze events were consistently observed between June and October,encompassing the south west monsoon and inter-monsoon periods.The study on acute respiratory illnesses primarily focused on Selangor.Analysis revealed that Klang had the highest mean number of inpatient cases for acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma(AEBA)and acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD)with values of 260.500 and 185.170,respectively.Similarly,for outpatient cases of AEBA and AECOPD,Klang had the highest average values of 41.67 and 14.00,respectively.Shah Alam and Sungai Buloh did not show a significant increase in cases during periods of biomass burning.The statistical analysis concluded that higher concentrations of PM were associated with increased hospital admissions,particularly from June to September,as shown in the bar diagram.Haze episodes were associated with more healthcare utilization due to haze-related respiratory illnesses,seen in higher inpatient and outpatient visits(p<0.05).However,seasonal variability had minimal impact on healthcare utilization.These findings offer a comprehensive assessment of PM levels during historic haze episodes,providing valuable insights for authorities to develop policies and guidelines for effective monitoring and mitigation of the negative impacts of haze events.

湛江湾柱状沉积物n-alkanes和PAHs组合分子特征及其环境指示作用

本文对湛江湾湾内、湾口和湾外柱状沉积物n-alkanes和PAHs的空间分布、成分谱特征和排放源进行调查分析。结果表明：（1）n-alkanes和PAHs的空间分布一致,浓度水平由高到低依次为：湾内、湾口、湾外,垂直变化不明显;（2）n-alkanes和PAHs的成分谱和L/H、CPI、Ant/（Ant＋Phe）、Flu/（Flu＋Pyr）、BaA/（BaA＋Chry）、IP/（IP＋BghiP）等特征参数比值以及主成分分析结果表明C25～C35高碳数n-alkanes的高等植物贡献具有绝对优势,C14～C24中低碳数的n-alkanes和PAHs则有共同的石油、化石燃料燃烧和生物质燃烧等人为源;（3）C14～C24中低碳n-alkanes与PAHs的源解析结果相同,其线性相关系数在0.67以上,表明两者具有较好的相关性,但两者之间的定量关系还需进一步的研究。本研究表明n-alkanes和PAHs对人为源的指示具有一致性,两者具有良好的相关性,能够较好地反映城市的社会经济状况,在进一步的研究中可以建立两者之间的定量关系并形成新的参数,提高人为源解析结果的准确性,深入反映人类活动对海洋环境的影响。

Source profiles of particulate organic matters emitted from cereal straw burnings

Cereal straw is one of the most abundant biomass burned in China but its contribution to fine particulates is not adequately understood. In this study, three main kinds of cereal straws were collected from five grain producing areas in China. Fine particulate matters （PMzs） from the cereal straws subjected to control burnings, both under smoldering and flaming status, were sampled by using a custom made dilution chamber and sampling system in the laboratory. Element carbon （EC） and organic carbon （OC） was analyzed. 141 compounds of organic matters were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrum （GC-MS）. Source profiles of particulate organic matters emitted from cereal straw burnings were obtained. The results indicated that organic matters contribute a large fraction in fine particulate matters. Levoglucosan had the highest contributions with averagely 4.5% in mass of fine particulates and can be considered as the tracer of biomass burnings. Methyloxylated phenols from lignin degradation also had high concentrations in PM2.5, and contained approximately equal amounts of guaiacyl and syringyl compounds. 13-Sitostrol also made up relatively a large fraction of PMz5 compared with the other sterols （0.18%-0.63% of the total fine particle mass）. Normal alkanes, PAHs, fatty acids, as well as normal alkanols had relatively lower concentrations compared with the compounds mentioned above. Carbon preference index （CPI） of normal alkanes and alkanoic acids showed characteristics of biogenic fuel burnings. Burning status significantly influenced the formations of EC and PAHs. The differences between the emission profiles of straw and wood combustions were displayed by the fingerprint compounds, which may be used to identify the contributions between wood and straw burnings in source apportionment researches.

Atmospheric particulate pollution of Lanzhou using magnetic measurements

To differentiate between natural and anthropogenic particulate sources in the atmosphere in Lanzhou City, samples were collected in different sites. The dust flux was calculated and magnetic measurements were conducted. Results show a distinct pattern of variation of dust flux within a year and it agrees with the shifts of atmospheric circulation regime. The magnetic parameters indicate that natural sources are the major components of atmospheric particulate during late spring and early summer, while anthropogenic sources contribute much more during winter months. The data also support the earlier findings that magnetic parameters are effective for differentiating between particulate arising from natural sources such as soil erosion and from anthropogenic sources such as coal combustion.

Numerical simulation on trapping efficiency of steady filtration process in diesel particulate filter and its experimental verification

Taking wall-flow diesel particulate filter(DPF) as the research objective and separately assuming its filtering wall to be composed of numerous spherical or cylindrical elements, two different mathematical models of steady filtration for wall-flow diesel particulate filter were developed and verified by experiments as well as numerically solved. Furthermore, the effects of the macroand micro-structural parameters of filtering wall and exhaust-flow characteristic parameters on trapping efficiency were also analyzed and researched. The results show that: 1) The two developed mathematical models are consistent with the prediction of variation of particulate size; the influence of various factors on the steady trapping efficiency is exactly the same. Compared to model 2, model 1 is more suitable for describing the steady filtration process of wall-flow diesel particulate filter; 2)The major influencing factors on steady trapping efficiency of wall-flow diesel particulate filter are the macro-and micro-structural parameters of filtering wall; and the secondary influencing factors are the exhaust-flow characteristic parameters and macro-structural parameters of filter; 3)The steady trapping efficiency will be improved by increasing filter body volume, pore density as well as wall thickness and by decreasing exhaust-flow, but effects will be weakened when particulate size exceeds a certain critical value; 4) The steady trapping efficiency will be significantly improved by increasing exhaust-flow temperature and filtering wall thickness, but effects will be also weakened when particulate size exceeds a certain critical value; 5) The steady trapping efficiency will approximately linearly increase with reducing porosity, micropore aperture and pore width.

Size Distributions and Elemental Compositions of Particulate Matter on Clear,Hazy and Foggy days in Beijing,China

Total suspended particulates （TSP） samples were collected using low pressure impactors （Andersen Series 20-800, USA） on typical clear, hazy and foggy days in Beijing in order to investigate the characteristics of size distributions and elemental compositions of particulate matter （PM） in different weather conditions. The concentrations of sixteen elements, including Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Ba, T1 and Pb were detected using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry （ICP-MS）. The results showed that Ca, A1, Fe, Mg and Ba on foggy days were 2.0 2.6 times higher than on clear days, and 2.3-2.9 times higher than on hazy days. Concentrations of Cu, Zn, As, Se and Pb on foggy days were 163.5, 1186.7, 65.9, 32.0 and 708.2 ng m-3, respectively, in fine particles, and 68.1, 289.5, 19.8, 1.6 and 103.8 ng m-3, respectively, in coarse particles. This was 1.0~8.4 times higher and 1.4-7.4 times higher than on clear and hazy days, respectively. It is then shown that Mg, A1, Fe, Ca and Ba were mainly associated with coarse particles, peaking at 4.7~5.8 μm; that Cd, Se, Zn, As, T1 and Pb were most dominant in fine particles, peaking at 0.43-1.1 μm; and that Na, K, Ni, Cu and Mn had a multi-mode distribution, with peaks at 0.43-1.1 μm and 4.7-5.8 μm. The enrichment factors indicated that coal combustion along with vehicle and industry emissions may be the main sources of pollution elements.

Characteristics of air particulate matter and their sources in urban and rural area of Beijing, China

During October 1993 and March 1996, the samples of fine and coarse air particulate matter have been collected at representative urban and rural site of Beijing with the Gent Stacked Filter Unit Sampler. Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and proton induced X ray emission (PIXE) method were used to determine the elemental composition of the particulate matter. Average elemental concentrations and enrichment factors were calculated for the fine and coarse size fractions. Based on the particulate matter data obtained at urban and rural site together with the chemical constituents of the aerosol from the different sources are discussed. The results show that the relative particulate mass and elemental concentrations of crustal and pollutant elements in the air particulate matter collected over the urban are higher than rural and winter heating period are higher than in ordinary season. Beijing atmosphere is polluted by aerosols from regional and faraway sources. It was noticed that the toxic or harmful elements such as As, Sb, Pb, Cu, Ni, S and Zn were mainly enriched in fine particles with diameter less than 2 μm. A receptor model was used to assess the relative contribution of major air pollution sources at receptor sites in Beijing. Trace elements were used as the markers for the above assessment. Factor analysis method was used to identify possible emission sources of air particles. The major sources of dust soil, coal burning, motor vehicle emission, industry emission and refuse incineration were identified.