Fine particulate matter source attribution for Southeast Texas using 14C/13C ratios

Abstract

Radiocarbon analyses of fine participate matter samples collected during the summer of 2000 in southeast Texas indicate that a substantial fraction of the aerosol carbon at an urban/suburban site (27-73%) and at a rural, forested site (44-77%) was modern carbon. Data from emission inventories and additional ambient measurements indicate that the most likely sources of this modern carbon are biomass burning fires and biogenic secondary organic aerosol. Copyright 2002 by the American Geophysical Union.