Apportioning visibility degradation to sources of PM2.5 using positive matrix factorization

Abstract

Intensive monitoring studies of aerosol have been conducted in two regions of California with poor air quality. Winter monitoring in the Fresno area was conducted in December 2003. Two summer samplings were collected from the eastern Los Angeles Basin, from Rubidoux in 2003 and Riverside in 2005. All three of these studies featured a suite of semicontinuous aerosol monitors. The speciated aerosol data with continuous gaseous measurements from these studies were combined with continuous Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) measurements of visibility and extinction from nearby airports and modeled aerosol water content to conduct source apportionment analyses. The data were analyzed using three different techniques. A conventional positive matrix factorization (PMF) method was used. Then a novel approach was used that coupled PMF with added extinction and modeled water data. Another technique involved integrating conventional PMF with linear regression to obtain the extinction associated with each source. The novel PMF with added extinction and modeled water data provided the most robust results. The Fresno winter study was meteorologically characterized by stagnant conditions, a shallow mixing height, and intermittent periods of fog and low clouds. Six factors were identified using PMF. The secondary nitrate and gasoline mobile combustion emission associated sources exhibited the highest extinction coefficients. PMF also identified six factors in the summer 2003 study at Rubidoux. The secondary nitrate and the ozone-related secondary semi-volatile organic material (SVOM) sources exhibited the highest extinction levels. Water associated with the aerosols plays an important role because of the marine influence and stratus clouds typically occurring in the basin during the summer months. The summer of 2005 study in Riverside lead to the identification of 11 sources. The highest contributors to extinction are associated with material transported across the basin, the relative humidity secondary source, followed by secondary nitrate. Copyright 2009 Air & Waste Management Association.