Characterization of atmospheric aerosols at Monte Cimone, Italy, during summer 2004: Source apportionment and transport mechanisms
Year: 2006
Type: article
Abstract: 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.
DOI: 10.1029/2006jd007145
Institutions: Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Genova, University of Genoa, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council, University of Milan, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Milano, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Galileo Galilei Institute for Theoretical Physics, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Firenze, University of Florence
Language: English
Subfield: Atmospheric Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2005659042