Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net 1680-7367 1680-7375 5 2 2005 10.5194/acpd-5-2469-2005 http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/5/2469/2005/ http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/5/2469/2005/acpd-5-2469-2005.html http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/5/2469/2005/acpd-5-2469-2005.pdf 2469 2501 2005-04-22 Characterization of aerosol particle episodes in Finland caused by wildfires in Eastern Europe J. V. Niemi H. Tervahattu H. Vehkamäki J. Martikainen L. Laakso M. Kulmala P. Aarnio T. Koskentalo M. Sillanpää U. Makkonen Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland Nordic Envicon Ltd., Koetilantie 3, FIN-00790 Helsinki, Finland Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Campus Box 216, Boulder, CO 80309, USA Department of Physical Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council (YTV), Opastinsilta 6 A, FIN-00520 Helsinki, Finland Finnish Meteorological Institute, Sahaajankatu 20 E, FIN-00880 Helsinki, Finland We studied the sources, compositions and size distributions of aerosol particles during long-range transport (LRT) PM_2.5 episodes occurred on 12–15 August, 26–28 August and 5–6 September 2002 in Finland. Backward air mass trajectories, satellite detections of fire areas, and dispersion modelling results indicate that emissions from wildfires in Russia and other Eastern European countries arrived to Finland during the episodes. Individual particle analyses using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analyses (EDX) showed that the proportion of S-rich particles increased during the episodes and they contained elevated fractions of K, which indicates emissions from biomass burning. These aerosols were mixed with S-rich emissions from fossil fuel burning during the transport, since air masses came through polluted areas of Europe. Minor amounts of coarse Ca-rich particles were also brought by LRT during the episodes, and they probably originated from wildfires and/or from Estonian and Russian oil-shale burning industrial areas. The ion chromatography analysis showed that concentrations of sulphate (SO₄^2-), total nitrate (NO₃^-+HNO₃(g)) and total ammonium (NH₄⁺+NH₃(g)) increased during the episodes, but the ratio of total amount of these ions to PM₁₀ concentration decreased indicating unusually high fractions of other chemical components. The particle number size distribution measurements with differential mobility particle sizer (DMPS) showed that the concentrations of 90–500 nm particles increased during the episodes, but the concentrations of particles smaller than 90nm decreased. The reduction of the smallest particles was caused by suppressed new particle formation due to the vapour and molecular cluster uptake of LRT particles. Our results show that the emissions from wildfires in Russian and other Eastern European deteriorated air quality on very large areas, even at the distance of over 1000 km from the fire areas.