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www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/10/9391/2010/
doi:10.5194/acpd-10-9391-2010
© Author(s) 2010. This work is distributed
under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Composition and sources of particulate matter in an industrialised Alpine valley
1Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
2Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (Empa), 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland
3Institute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics, Vienna University of Technology, Getreidemarkt 9/164-UPA, 1060 Vienna, Austria
4Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
5Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
6Institute for Particle Physics, ETH Hönggerberg, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
*now at: National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS), School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, M60 1QD, UK
**now at: Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften, Life Sciences und Facility Management, Einsiedlerstr. 31, 8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland
Abstract. A three-week long field campaign was carried out under autumnal meteorological conditions at four valley floor sites in the industrialised Swiss Rhone Valley. For one week of stable meteorological conditions, particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter below 10 μm (PM10) was analysed from daily filters using ion chromatography, X-ray fluorescence, anhydrosugars and radiocarbon analysis of the organic and elemental matter (OM and EM, respectively). Furthermore, PM1 composition along the whole campaign was monitored in Massongex (a site near industries) by a seven-wavelength aethalometer and a quadrupole aerosol mass spectrometer (Q-AMS). At all sites, PM10 secondary inorganics and non-fossil EM and OM exhibited relatively stable concentrations over the selected days. On the contrary, PM10 fossil carbonaceous fractions, mineral dust components and several trace elements showed a significant decrease on Sunday, compared to the analysed working days. Their concentrations were also highly correlated. This evidenced the role of exhaust and resuspension emissions by heavy-duty vehicle traffic to the PM10 concentrations along the valley.
In Massongex, organic matter and black carbon (BC) were the main contributors to PM1 over the campaign (accounting for 45% and 18% of PM1, respectively). An optical discrimination of BC highlighted the prevalence of fossil over wood-burning sources. Three types of PM1 organics could be identified by factor analysis: primary wood-burning organic aerosol (P-WBOA) dominated the PM1 carbonaceous fraction, followed by oxygenated organics (OOA) mostly representing secondary organics, and by traffic or possibly industry-related hydrocarbon-like organics (HOA) as the smallest carbonaceous contribution.
Furthermore, unusually high contributions of fine chloride were detected at all sites. They were attributed to ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) in Massongex and represented the only significant component exclusively attributable to industrial emissions.
Discussion Paper (PDF, 2667 KB) Supplement (34 KB) Interactive Discussion (Closed, 3 Comments) Publication in ACP not foreseen
Citation: Perron, N., Sandradewi, J., Alfarra, M. R., Lienemann, P., Gehrig, R., Kasper-Giebl, A., Lanz, V. A., Szidat, S., Ruff, M., Fahrni, S., Wacker, L., Baltensperger, U., and Prévôt, A. S. H.: Composition and sources of particulate matter in an industrialised Alpine valley, Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., 10, 9391-9430, doi:10.5194/acpd-10-9391-2010, 2010. Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager XML
