Metallic water-soluble species presents in atmospheric particles

Abstract

In this work, 11 metallic species water-soluble presents in particulate matter have been quantified in an urban area with high density of traffic (80,000 vehicles/day). Experimental study was realized between June and December 2002. In total, 42 samples (7 samples / month), were collected.Concentrations levels of total suspended particulates (TSP) ranged between 27,860 and 146,470 ng m(-3) with an average concentration of 71,920 ng m(-3) of that the soluble studied species constituted 9,5 %. Sodium (68 % of the fraction) was the predominant species, indicating this fact that the atmospheric particles of this zone are strongly influenced by the marine breezes. Nevertheless, for the calcium, following element in abundance (17 % of the fraction), terrestrial sources are much more relevant (83 %) than the sea-coasts.Receptor modelling technique was applied in order to identify the main sources of each one of the metallic species. Sodium and potassium have in the sea its major contributor, whereas the magnesium adds to the marine contribution the effected for the erosion of soils and the arrival of african dust. Calcium comes from erosion of soils and local resuspension processes, whereas the iron is emitted from natural and man-made sources (terrestrial all of them). Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni and Cr comes principally from the traffic.