Source apportionment of PM_(2.5)using PMF combined online bulk and single-particle measurements:Contribution of fireworks and biomass burning

Fireworks(FW)could significantly worsen air quality in short term during celebrations.Due to similar tracers with biomass burning(BB),the fast and precise qualification of FW and BB is still challenging.In this study,online bulk and single-particle measurements were combined to investigate the contributions of FW and BB to the overall mass concentrations of PM_(2.5)and specific chemical species by positive matrix factorization(PMF)during the Chinese New Year in Hong Kong in February 2013.With combined information,fresh/aged FW(abundant ^(140)K_(2)NO_(3)^(+)and ^(213)K_(3)SO_(4)^(+)formed from ^(113)K_(2)Cl^(+)discharged by fresh FW)can be extracted from the fresh/aged BB sources,in addition to the Second Aerosol,Vehicles+Road Dust,and Sea Salt factors.The contributions of FW and BB were investigated during three high particle matter episodes influenced by the pollution transported from the Pearl River Delta region.The fresh BB/FW contributed 39.2%and 19.6%to PM_(2.5)during the Lunar Chinese New Year case.However,the contributions of aged FW/BB enhanced in the last two episodes due to the aging process,evidenced by high contributions from secondary aerosols.Generally,the fresh BB/FW showed more significant contributions to nitrate(35.1%and15.0%,respectively)compared with sulfate(25.1%and 5.9%,respectively)and OC(14.8%and11.1%,respectively)on average.In comparison,the aged FW contributed more to sulfate(13.4%).Overall,combining online bulk and single-particle measurement data can combine both instruments’advantages and provide a new perspective for applying source apportionment of aerosols using PMF.

Characteristics of dry deposited mineral particles associated with weather conditions in the adjacent sea areas of East China during a cruise in spring 2011

Dry deposited particles, larger than 1.3 μm, were collected under clear, cloudy, and foggy conditions during a cruise, traversing the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea from 23 March to 8 April 2011. In these areas, air masses are influenced by pollution outflows from the Asian continent. The size and elemental composition of dry deposited particles were investigated using a scanning electron microscope. Number-size distributions of these particles were approximately lognormal. Under clear conditions, the mode size was about 5.0 μm, with a mean diameter of 6.9 μm. Under cloudy and foggy conditions, the mean diameters were 5.7 and 6.0 μm, respectively, but the mode sizes were vague. Non-mixed mineral particles, sea salt, and mixed mineral-sea salt particles were the major particle types. Correspondingly, Al and Si were the most frequently detected elements. Frequencies of K-, Ca-, and S-containing particles were highest under foggy conditions, while the frequency of Na-containing particles was lowest. These results indicate that fog favored sulfate production on the particles and led to the deposited mineral particles more abundant in secondary salt, suggesting the importance to consider the dependence of the comoosition of deoosited mineral narticles on weather as well as narticle size.