Assessment of fine and sub-micrometer aerosols at an urban environment of Argentina

MARIANA ACHAD; MARIA L. LÓPEZ; SERGIO CEPPI; GUSTAVO G. PALANCAR; GERMAN TIRAO; BEATRIZ M. TOSELLI

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2014 vol. 92 p. 522 - 522

Abstract Bulk aerosol samples collected during 2010 and 2011 at one receptor site in Córdoba City,nArgentina, have been quantitatively analyzed to determine aerosol elemental composition by using SRXRF. A receptor model analysis has been applied to ambient PM2.5 measurements. Four sources have been identified being their contributions: traffic: (13 ± 2) μg m-3, SO42- /combustion processes, including biomass burning: (15± 1) μg m-3, mineral dust: (7 ± 2) μg m-3 and industry: (8± 1) μg m-3. Source identification was carried out by inspection of key species in source profiles, seasonality of source contributions, comparison with literature data and the knowledge of the city; for the biomass burning contribution the MODIS burned area daily product was used to confirm wildfire events along the year. In addition, from May to August 2011, aerosols were collected in two additional size fractions (PM0.25-0.5, PM0.5-1) to investigate the toxic metal contributions to th