Krzysztof Klejnowski

A Study on the Seasonal Mass Closure of Ambient Fine and Coarse Dusts in Zabrze, Poland

Diurnal samples of PM2.5 and PM2.5–10 were taken in an urban background area in Zabrze (Upper Silesia in southern Poland) in the winter (January–March) and summer (July–September) of 2009. The samples were analyzed for carbon (organic and elemental), water soluble ions (Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, F−, Cl−, NO3−, PO43−, SO42−) and concentrations of 27 elements by using, respectively, a Behr C50 IRF carbon analyzer, a Herisau Metrohm AG ion chromatograph, and a PANalitycal EPSILON 5 X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. To perform the mass closure calculations for both dust fractions in the two periods, the particulate matter (PM) chemical components were categorized into organic matter, elemental carbon, secondary inorganic aerosol, crustal matter, marine components and unidentified matter. The chemical composition of the two dust fractions and the element enrichment coefficients in the two seasons, referred to proper emission profiles, proved about 80% of PM2.5 and more than 50% (in winter 65%) of PM2.5–10 mass coming from anthropogenic sources, mainly from fuel combustion and specific municipal emission shaping the winter emission of ambient dust in the area.

Origin-Oriented Elemental Profile of Fine Ambient Particulate Matter in Central European Suburban Conditions

Twenty-four-hour samples of fine ambient particulate matter (PM2.5; particles with aerodynamic diameters ≤2.5 µm) were collected in a suburban (quasi-rural) area in Racibórz (Poland) between 1 January 2011 and 26 December 2012. The samples were analyzed for the contents of 28 elements. Sources of PM2.5 were identified and the contribution of each source to the PM2.5 concentration was assessed using an enrichment factor (EF) analysis, a principal component analysis (PCA), and multi-linear regression analysis (MLRA). In the cold season (January–March and October–December 2011–2012), the mean ambient concentration of PM2.5 in Racibórz was 48.7 ± 39.4 µg·m−3, which was much higher than at other suburban or rural sites in Europe. Additionally the ambient concentrations of some toxic PM2.5-bound elements were also high, i.e., the mean ambient concentrations of PM2.5-bound As, Cd, and Pb were 11.3 ± 11.5, 5.2 ± 2.5, and 34.0 ± 34.2 ng·m−3, respectively. In the warm season (April–September 2011–2012), the PM2.5 and PM2.5-bound element concentrations in Racibórz were comparable to the concentrations noted at other suburban (or rural) sites in Europe. Our findings suggest that elemental composition and concentrations of PM2.5 in Racibórz are mainly influenced by anthropogenic emissions, i.e., the energy production based on coal and biomass combustion, traffic, and industry.

Number Size Distribution of Ambient Particles in a Typical Urban Site: The First Polish Assessment Based on Long-Term (9 Months) Measurements

This work presents results from the long-term measurements of particle number carried out at an urban background station in Zabrze, Poland. Ambient particles with aerodynamic diameters of between 28 nm and 10 μm were investigated by means of a DEKATI thirteen-stage electrical low pressure impactor (ELPI). The particle number-size distribution was bimodal, whilst its density function had the local maxima in the aerodynamic diameter intervals 0.056–0.095 μm and 0.157–0.263 μm. The average particle number in winter was nearly twice as high as in summer. The greatest number concentrations in winter were those of the particles with diameters of between 0.617 and 2.41 μm, that is, the anthropogenic particles from fossil fuel combustion. Approximately 99% of the particles observed in Zabrze had aerodynamic diameters ≤1 μm—they may have originated from the combustion of biomass, liquid, and gaseous fuels in domestic stoves or in car engines. The daily variation of particle number was similar for both seasons—the highest values were observed in the morning (traffic rush hour) and in the afternoon/late evening (traffic and house heating emissions). An additional maximum (0.028–0.056 μm) observed in the early afternoon in summer was due to the intensive formation of new PM particles from gas precursors.

Modelling of black carbon statistical distribution and return periods of extreme concentrations

Eight datasets of 1-h?black carbon (BC) concentrations measured in Warsaw agglomeration (Poland), at urban background and sub-urban sites, and in Raciborz, a small town in Upper Silesia district (regional background site) were analyzed to evaluate BC levels, daily profiles and statistical distributions of concentrations in Central-Eastern European region. The observed mean levels ranged from 1483?ng?m-3 in suburban site during summer to 3358?ng?m-3 in regional background site in winter. Observed diurnal patterns were bimodal in the locations dominated by traffic emissions, but unimodal, with elevated evening peak in individually heated residential area. Three theoretical frequency distributions were applied to fit analyzed datasets separately. The lognormal distribution was the most appropriate to represent the middle-range values, while the high concentrations were satisfactorily predicted by the type I two-parameter exponential distribution which was used to estimate the return periods of extreme concentrations for winter months. BC concentrations in Warsaw are higher than in Western European capitals.Regional background BC levels in Upper Silesia district are high, especially during winter.One or two daily peaks are observed depending on the dominating emission source and season.Lognormal distribution presents the best fit to the middle-range BC concentrations.Return periods of extreme BC wintertime concentrations were estimated.

Effects of road traffic on the ambient concentrations of three PM fractions and their main components in a large Upper Silesian city

Abstract Effects of road traffic on the ambient concentrations of three PM fractions and their main components in a large Upper Silesian city. The study concerns the assessment of the traffic influence on the concentrations of three particulate matter (PM) fractions and their basic components. The PM samples were collected simultaneously at two receptors in Katowice. The measurement sites represented the so-called urban background and traffic points. The contents of the organic and elementary carbon as well as water- -soluble ions were determined in the samples. It has been observed that the traffic (car engines) pollution emissions enrich the submicron and fine PM particles with the elementary carbon at a typical urban background in southern Poland. On the other hand, the influence of the re-suspension of the road and soil dust, caused by traffic, on the concentrations and chemical composition is observed for the coarse PM fraction.

Analysis of National Verses Long-Range Transport Contribution to Organic and Inorganic Aerosol Load in Selected Location in Poland

The paper investigates PM2.5 levels and composition in 3 different locations in Poland for cold and warm period of 2013. The highest share of SOC and POC in PM2.5 was found in heating season, which was probably due to an increase in the activity of local emission sources of PM, especially biomass burning and fossil fuel combustion in residential sector, while SIA contribution in PM2.5 mass was relatively constant during heating and non-heating period at all 3 sites. During non-heating season air mass back trajectories were grouped into 5 clusters representing mostly westerly flows (50–72 %). During heating season the trajectories were grouped into 6 clusters coming mostly from eastern directions (54–64 %).