An orchestrated attempt to determine the chemical properties of asian dust particles by PIXE and XRF techniques

Abstract

An orchestrated attempt was made to analyze samples of bulk and individual particulate matters (PM) collected at the Gosan ground-based station on the west coast of Jeju, Korea. A two-stage filter pack sampler was operated to collect particles in both large (>1.2 μm) and small size fractions (<1.2 μm) between the Asian dust (hereafter called "AD") storm event and non-Asian dust period. Elemental components in bulk and individual particles were determined by PIXE and synchrotron XRF analysis systems, respectively. To assess the transport pathways of air parcels and to determine the spatial distribution of PM, the backward trajectories of the Meteorological Data Explorer (Center for Global Environmental Research, 2010) and the NOAA's HYSPLIT dispersiontrajectory models were applied. In line with general expectations, Si and other crustal elements in large size particles showed considerably higher mass loading on AD days in comparison with non-AD days. Computation of the crustal enrichment factors [(Z/Si)particle/(Z/Si)desert sand] of elements in large size particles (>1.2 μm) allowed us to estimate the source profile and chemical aging of AD particles as well as to classify the soil-origin elements. On the basis of a single particle analysis, individual AD particles are classified into three distinct groups (neutralized mineral particles, S-rich mineral particles, and imperfectly neutralized particles).