Particulate matter source apportionment in complex urban and industrial cities: The case of Tarragona, Spain

Abstract

In the framework of UltraPAR project (Assessing the Exposure and the Health Effects of Ambient Fine and Ultrafine Particles in areas of intensive industrial activity) the outdoor air quality of 12 schools in Tarragona (Catalonia, Spain) was monitored in winter 2016-2017. High volume air samplers equipped with quartz filters were used for sampling airborne particulate matter equal or smaller than 10, 2.5, and 1 µm (known as PM10, PM2.5, and PM1 respectively). These ambient samples together with some sources samples (harbour, industrial complexes, incinerator and road traffic) were chemically, mineralogically, and isotopically characterized and it is expected to help assessing the contribution of different emission sources. Preliminary results show that the maximum PM concentrations reached 37 µg/m3 for PM1, 30 µg/m3 for PM2.5 and 54 µg/m3 for PM10 while the lead content varies in the range of 10 to 13 ng/m3. Through XRD and SEM the marine aerosol influence is confirmed in this coastal city. The carbon isotopic signatures of the different PM sizes could be a potential tracer of its origin (mineral vs combustion sources). These findings were also compared with recent and older environmental data from other studies in similar cities or specifically in this zone to explore its consistency and possible temporal variations.