Mass distributions and morphological and chemical characterization of urban aerosols in the continental Balkan area (Belgrade)

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 851 - 859
• Main Authors: Đorđević, D, Buha, J, Stortini, A. M, Mihajlidi-Zelić, A, Relić, D, Barbante, C, Gambaro, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.01.2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: aerosols; Aerosols - chemistry; air; Air Pollutants - analysis; Airborne particulates; aluminum; anthropogenic activities; Aquatic Pollution; arsenic; Atmospheric aerosols; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Balkan Peninsula; bromine; calcium; Chemistry; Dust - analysis; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; energy-dispersive X-ray analysis; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental science; Heavy metals; iron; Laboratories; magnesium; Microwaves; mining; Morphology; nickel; Outdoor air quality; Particle size; potassium; Radiation; Research Article; Scanning electron microscopy; silicon; Studies; sulfur; tin; Urban areas; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; zinc; Middle East; Northern Africa; Serbia; Balkans; Balkan Peninsula; Balkan states; Europe, Balkans; Africa; MED, Eastern Mediterranean; MED, Western Mediterranean; MED; Morphologies; Continental urban aerosols; Size distributions
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-5271-3

This work presents characteristics of atmospheric aerosols of urban central Balkans area, using a size-segregated aerosol sampling method, calculation of mass distributions, SEM/EDX characterization, and ICP/MS analysis. Three types of mass distributions were observed: distribution with a pronounced domination of coarse mode, bimodal distribution, and distribution with minimum at 1 μm describing the urban aerosol. SEM/EDX analyses have shown morphological difference and variation in the content of elements in samples. EDX spectra demonstrate that particles generally contain the following elements: Al, Ca, K, Fe, Mg, Ni, K, Si, S. Additionally, the presence of As, Br, Sn, and Zn found in air masses from southeast segment points out the anthropogenic activities most probably from mining activities in southeastern part of Serbia. The ratio Al/Si equivalent to the ratio of desert dust was associated with air masses coming from southeastern and southwestern segments, pointing to influences from North Africa and Middle East desert areas whereas the Al/Si ratio in other samples is significantly lower. In several samples, we found high values of aluminum in the nucleation mode. Samples with low share of crustal elements in the coarse mode are collected when Mediterranean air masses prevailed, while high share in the coarse mode was associated with continental air masses that could be one of the approaches for identification of the aerosol origin.