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JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH,
VOL. 111,
D24202,
15 PP., 2006
doi:10.1029/2006JD007145
Characterization of atmospheric aerosols at Monte Cimone, Italy, during summer 2004: Source apportionment and transport mechanisms
Physics Department, University of Genoa and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare-Genova, Genoa, Italy
Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council, Bologna, Italy
Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council, Bologna, Italy
General Applied Physics Institute, University of Milan and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare-Milano, Milan, Italy
Physics Department, University of Florence and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare-Firenze, Florence, Italy
Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council, Bologna, Italy
Physics Department, University of Genoa and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare-Genova, Genoa, Italy
Inorganic, Metallorganic and Analytical Chemistry Department, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
Physics Department, University of Florence and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare-Firenze, Florence, Italy
Physics Department, University of Genoa and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare-Genova, Genoa, Italy
Physics Department, University of Florence and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare-Firenze, Florence, Italy
Inorganic, Metallorganic and Analytical Chemistry Department, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
Physics Department, University of Genoa and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare-Genova, Genoa, Italy
General Applied Physics Institute, University of Milan and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare-Milano, Milan, Italy
General Applied Physics Institute, University of Milan and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare-Milano, Milan, Italy
Atmospheric aerosols in the PM10 and PM1 fractions have been sampled at the Global Atmospheric Watch station Mount Cimone, Italy (2165 m above mean sea level) for 3 months during summer 2004, and simultaneous size distributions have been derived by means of an optical particle counter. Samples have been analyzed by X-ray fluorescence, ion chromatography, and thermal-optical methodology in order to quantify their elemental, ionic, and carbonaceous constituents. The concentration of PM10 was 16.1 ± 9.8 μg m−3 (average and standard deviation). Source apportionment allowed us to identify, quantify and characterize the following aerosol classes: anthropogenic pollution (10 μg m−3), mineral dust (4 μg m−3), and sea salt (0.2 μg m−3). Pollution has been further split into ammonium sulfate (44%), organic matter (42%), and other compounds (14%). The nitrate/sulfate ratio in the polluted aerosol was 0.1. Fine particles have been completely related to the polluted aerosol component, and they represented 70% in weight of pollution. Coarse particles characterized the dust and salt components, and crustal oxides have been found to be the largest responsible for the aerosol concentration variations that occurred during the campaign. Nitrate has also been found in the coarse particles, representing ∼10% of mineral dust. The analysis of the transport mechanisms responsible for aerosol fluctuations permitted us to identify the origin of the major aerosol components: Pollution has been ascribed to regional transport driven by boundary layer meteorology, whereas mineral dust has been related to long-range transport events originating in the Sahara and Sahel. A particularly significant Saharan episode has been identified on 10 August 2004 (PM10 daily concentration, 69.9 μg m−3). Average elemental ratios for the African dust events were as follows: Si/Al = 2.31, Fe/Ca = 0.94, Ca/Al = 0.90, K/Ca = 0.44, Ti/Ca = 0.11, and Ti/Fe = 0.12.
Received 1 February 2006; accepted 27 July 2006; published 16 December 2006.
Citation: (2006), Characterization of atmospheric aerosols at Monte Cimone, Italy, during summer 2004: Source apportionment and transport mechanisms, J. Geophys. Res., 111, D24202, doi:10.1029/2006JD007145.
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