Olga Hawas

Multielemental analysis and characterization of fine aerosols at several key ACE‐Asia sites

loadings of 29, 16, and 9.1 mg/m 3 and coarse mass loadings of 33, 14, and 11 mg/m 3 were measured at Hong Kong, Cheju, and Sado Island sites, respectively, during the study period. The corresponding maximum PM2.5 and coarse mass values for the three sites were 109, 81, and 78 mg/m 3 and 101, 162, and 253 mg/m 3 , respectively. Accelerator-based ion beam analysis (IBA) techniques were used to quantify major components as well as significant trace elements. These included total hydrogen, black carbon, F, Na, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br, and Pb, with detection limits close to or below 1 ng/m 3 . The average PM2.5 percentage composition by weight across the three sites was estimated to be around (8.4 ± 4)% black carbon, (7.7 ± 7)% soil, (43 ± 14)% ammonium sulfate, (11 ± 16)% organic matter, (10 ± 12)% salinity, and (0.6 ± 0.3)% trace elements. Soil fingerprints for the east Asian region were generated using oxides of measured Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, and Fe concentrations. The coarse fraction was dominated by wind blown soil (23%) and sea salts (48%). [PM10/PM2.5] mass ratios were typically (2.1 ± 0.4) averaged across all sites for the whole year. [PM10/PM2.5] mass ratios for the 21 IBA elements analyzed were also provided. This quantitative data providing both masses and dates over an 18-month period provide useful input for aerosol transport modeling for the east Asia region. INDEX TERMS: 0305 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Aerosols and particles (0345, 4801); 0345 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Pollution—urban and regional (0305); 0399 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: General or miscellaneous; 1610 Global Change: Atmosphere (0315, 0325); 1620 Global Change: Climate dynamics (3309); KEYWORDS: PM2.5, PM10, aerosols, fine particle characterization, Asian region, ACE-Asia, IBA techniques

WILL AIR QUALITY IN SYDNEY MEET PROPOSED AUSTRALIAN FINE PARTICLE NEPM GUIDELINES

Since 1991 ANSTOs ion beam analysis (IBA) laboratory has been sampling fine atmospheric particles every Wednesday and Sunday at urban and rural sites in New South Wales. Multi-elemental accelerator-based IBA techniques were used to characterise major components and significant trace elements with minimum detectable limits close to 1 ng/m3. Observed mass concentrations will be compared with air quality US EPA standards and proposed Australian fine particle NEPM guidelines. Trace elements strongly associated with source fingerprints responsible for high air pollution will also be discussed in this paper.