A European aerosol phenomenology—2: chemical characteristics of particulate matter at kerbside, urban, rural and background sites in Europe

• Published in: Atmospheric environment (1994) Vol. 38; no. 16; pp. 2579 - 2595
• Main Authors: Putaud, Jean-P, Raes, Frank, Van Dingenen, Rita, Brüggemann, Erika, Facchini, M.-Cristina, Decesari, Stefano, Fuzzi, Sandro, Gehrig, Robert, Hüglin, Cristoph, Laj, Paolo, Lorbeer, Gundi, Maenhaut, Willy, Mihalopoulos, Nikolaos, Müller, Konrad, Querol, Xavier, Rodriguez, Sergio, Schneider, Jürgen, Spindler, Gerald, Brink, Harry ten, Tørseth, Kjetil, Wiedensohler, Alfred
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-05-2004; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Aerosol; Air. Soil. Water. Waste. Feeding; Applied sciences; Atmospheric pollution; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical composition; Compilation; Earth, ocean, space; Environment. Living conditions; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Medical sciences; Meteorology; PM10; PM2.5; Pollution; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Eastern Europe; Europe; MED; Europe, East; PM10; Chemical composition; Compilation; Aerosol; PM2.5; Organic matter; Troposphere; Artefact; Nitrates; Urban area; Sulfates; Coarse particle; Concentration measurement; Sulfur Compounds; Fine particle; Rural area; Measuring network; Sampling; Low temperature; Carbon black; Air quality; Dust; Surveillance; Aerosols; Air pollution
• ISSN: 1352-2310; 1873-2844
• DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2004.01.041

This paper synthesizes data on aerosol (or particulate matter, PM) chemical characteristics, which were obtained in European aerosol research activities at natural, rural, near-city, urban, and kerbside sites over the past decade. It includes only two (nearby) sites in the semi-arid Mediterranean area, and lacks data from Eastern Europe. PM chemical compositions are compared with the PM mass concentrations in PM10, PM2.5, and further size resolved PM fractions (chemical mass closure). Such data sets are more comprehensive than those currently provided by air quality monitoring networks (e.g. EMEP, EUROAIRNET). Data available from 24 sites in Europe were reviewed. They were processed and plotted to allow comparisons in spite of differences in the sampling and analytical techniques used in various studies. A number of conclusions are drawn among which are the following.
Organic matter appears to be the major component of PM10 and PM2.5, except at natural and rural background sites, where sulphate contribution may be larger. Mineral dust shows up as a major component of PM10 at kerbside sites. Black carbon contributes 5–10% to PM2.5 and somewhat less to PM10 at all sites, including the natural background sites. Its contribution seems higher (15–20%) at some of the kerbside sites, but these data may be affected by analytical artefacts. On days when PM10 >50
μg
m
−3, nitrate concentrations can overtake organic matter concentrations in PM10 and PM2.5. High PM concentration episodes are often observed in cold periods, when the pollutant dispersion is least. Measurements indicate that the condensation in the particle phase of semi-volatile species like nitrate and (unspecified) organics is also favoured by cold temperatures. In particles with a diameter <150
nm (i.e., most atmospheric particles), organic matter and black carbon are by far the major components.
More data are known to be available within the scientific community, which could enrich the present data set and strengthen the conclusions made above. Most of them are not made available yet. The investment in new approaches, which would bridge the technological gap between scientific measurements and regulatory monitoring networks, is strongly needed.