Spatial variability of trace elements and sources for improved exposure assessment in Barcelona

Maria Cruz Minguillon*, Marta Cirach, Gerard Hoek, Bert Brunekreef, Ming Tsai, Kees de Hoogh, Aleksandra Jedynska, Ingeborg M. Kooter, Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, Xavier Querol

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

    Abstract

    Trace and major elements concentrations in PM10 and PM2.5 were measured at 20 sites spread in the Barcelona metropolitan area (1 rural background, 6 urban background, 13 road traffic sites) and at 1 reference site. Three 2-week samples per site and size fraction were collected during 2009 using low volume samplers, adding a total of 120 samples. Collected samples were analysed for elemental composition using Energy Dispersive X-ray fluorescence (XRF). EC, OC, and hopanes and steranes concentrations in PM2.5 were determined. Positive Matrix Factorisation (PMF) model was used for a source apportionment analysis. The work was performed as part of the ESCAPE project.

    Elements were found in concentrations within the usual range in Spanish urban areas. Mineral elements were measured in higher concentrations during the warm season, due to enhanced resuspension; concentrations of fueloil combustion elements were also higher in summer. Elements in higher concentration at the traffic sites were: Ba, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Pb, Sn, Zn and Zr. Spatial variations related to non-traffic sources were observed for concentrations of Br, Cl, K, and Na (sea salt origin) and Ni, V and S (shipping emissions), which were higher at the coastal sites, as well as for Zn and Pb, higher at sites closer to industrial facilities.

    Five common sources for PM10 and PM2.5 were identified by PMF: road traffic (with tracers Ba, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mo and Zn); fueloil combustion (Ni and V); secondary sulphate; industry (Pb and Zn); and mineral source (Al, Ca, Mg, Si, Sr and Ti). A marine aerosol source, a mixture of sea salt with aged anthropogenic aerosols, was found only in PM10. EC, hopanes and steranes concentrations correlate strongly with the PM10 road traffic source contributions, being hence all attributed to the same source. OC may arise from other sources in addition to road traffic and have a high contribution of secondary OC.

    Significant spatial and temporal variation in the PM2.5 and PM10 elemental composition was found. Spatial patterns differed per element, related to the main source. The identified source contributions can be used in health studies of source-specific particles. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)268-281
    Number of pages14
    JournalAtmospheric Environment
    Volume89
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Jun 2014

    Keywords

    • PM
    • Metals
    • Source apportionment
    • Urban
    • PMF
    • POSITIVE MATRIX FACTORIZATION
    • PARTICULATE MATTER
    • SOURCE APPORTIONMENT
    • ORGANIC-COMPOUNDS
    • PM COMPOSITION
    • URBAN
    • PM2.5
    • SPAIN
    • CARBON
    • SITES

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