Multimodal size spectra of submicrometer particles bearing various elements in rural air

• Published in: Environmental science & technology Vol. 25; no. 5; pp. 890 - 903
• Main Authors: Dodd, Jeffrey A, Ondov, John M, Tuncel, Gurdal, Dzubay, Thomas G, Stevens, Robert K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 01.05.1991
• Subjects: 01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT; 010900 - Coal, Lignite, & Peat- Environmental Aspects; 540120 - Environment, Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-); ACTIVATION ANALYSIS; AEROSOL MONITORING; AEROSOLS; AIR POLLUTION MONITORING; Applied sciences; ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION; Atmospheric pollution; CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS; CASCADE IMPACTORS; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; COAL; COLLOIDS; Dispersed sources and other; DISPERSIONS; ELEMENTS; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; EVALUATION; Exact sciences and technology; FIRES; FOSSIL FUELS; FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS; FUELS; HUMIDITY; MATERIALS; MONITORING; MULTI-ELEMENT ANALYSIS; NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS; NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS; PARTICLES; PARTICULATES; POINT POLLUTANT SOURCES; Pollution; POLLUTION SOURCES; Pollution sources. Measurement results; POWER PLANTS; PULVERIZED FUELS; QUALITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; SOLS; SPECTRA; THERMAL POWER PLANTS; VOLCANOES; X-RAY EMISSION ANALYSIS; X-RAY FLUORESCENCE ANALYSIS; Elementary analysis; Particle size; Chemical analysis; United States; Wind effect; Neutron activation; North America; Suspended particle; America; Aerosols; Rural area; Air pollution; X ray fluorescence spectrometry; Sampling; Maryland
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/es00017a010

Samples of size-segregated submicrometer aerosol particles were collected with a microorifice impactor near Deep Creek Lake, a recreational area in rural western Maryland, and analyzed for up to 44 elements by instrumental neutron activation and X-ray fluorescence analyses. Modal diameters and S/Se ratios for samples influenced by northeasterly winds were smaller than those influenced by westerly winds, suggesting a greater age for the latter, despite the close proximity of several large coal-fired power plants to the west of the site. Simple dispersion estimates suggest that large peaks observed in daytime samples must include material from multiple sources, whereas mass in those observed in nighttime samples could be accounted for by single sources.