Detailed mass size distributions of elements and species, and aerosol chemical mass closure during fall 1999 at Gent, Belgium

Abstract

A 10-stage microorifice uniform deposit impactor (MOUDI) and a 12-stage small deposit area low pressure impactor (SDI) were operated at Gent from 6 September to 30 October 1999. Thirty-four parallel samples (of typically 24 h) were collected. The MOUDI samples were analysed for the particulate mass (PM) by weighing, and for organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) by a thermal-optical transmission technique. The SDI samples were analysed for 27 elements by PIXE. PM and OC exhibited typically a rather similar bimodal size distribution, with most of their mass in the submicrometer size range. EC was predominantly associated with fine particles, with maximum typically at around 0.2 μm equivalent aerodynamic diameter (EAD). Sulphur was also mainly in the fine size range, but with maximum at 0.5 μm EAD. Other elements with mainly a fine mode were V, Ni, As, Se and Pb. The crustal elements (Al, Si, Ti, Fe, Zr) exhibited mostly a unimodal coarse mode size distribution, with maximum at about 4 μm EAD. Other elements with mainly a coarse mode were Na, Mg, P, Ca, Cr, Mn, Cu, Ga and Sr. The elements K, Zn and Rb were generally bimodal. Aerosol chemical mass closure calculations indicated that organic aerosol and crustal matter were the major aerosol types in the supermicrometer size range, and that the dominant aerosol types in the submicrometer fraction were organic aerosol and sulphate. On average, 74% of the gravimetric PM was accounted for by the aerosol types considered. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.