Characterization and seasonal variations of organic and elemental carbon and levoglucosan in PM10 in Krynica Zdroj, Poland

Abstract

In this study, the ambient aerosol (PM10) concentrations of elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), total carbon (TC), and levoglucosan are reported for a Polish health resort following a one-year (March 2016-April 2017) sampling campaign. The seasonal variation of OC, EC, and levoglucosan (LG) concentrations showed their maximum during the heating season for this site, with monthly mean total carbonaceous material/PM10 ratios ranging between about 0.28 and 0.44 depending on the season. Average EC concentration was 1.1 ± 0.6 μg·m-3 and changed from 0.3 μg·m-3 up to 2.3 μg·m-3 during the sampling campaign. The OC concentration at the site ranged from 2.4 μg·m-3 during the non-heating season up to 22 μg·m-3 in the heating season, with an average of 7 μg·m-3. A strong correlation between OC and EC in the heating season suggested that they were produced from similar sources during this time. Mean LG concentration during the sampling campaign was 0.51 μg·m-3, while in the heating season it was 0.72 μg·m-3 and in 0.19 μg·m-3 in the non-heating season. The obtained results indicated a strong influence of local primary source emissions on air quality, especially during the heating period.