Source apportionment of fine particulate matter in the southeastern United States
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States). School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Particulate matter (PM) less than 2.5 {mu}m in size (PM2.5) source apportionment by chemical mass balance receptor modeling was performed to enhance regional characterization of source impacts in the southeastern United States. Secondary particles, such as NH{sub 4}HSO{sub 4}, (NH{sub 4}){sub 2}SO{sub 4}, NH{sub 4}NO{sub 3}, and secondary organic carbon (OC) (SOC), formed by atmospheric photochemical reactions, contribute the majority ({gt} 50%) of ambient PM2.5 with strong seasonality. Source apportionment results indicate that motor vehicle and biomass burning are the two main primary sources in the southeast, showing relatively more motor vehicle source impacts rather than biomass burning source impacts in populated urban areas and vice versa in less urbanized areas. Spatial distributions of primary source impacts show that each primary source has distinctively different spatial source impacts. For coal combustion, higher concentrations occur in areas close to source and are highest at Jefferson (Birmingham), AL where industrial facilities use coal for fuel. Pulp and paper mills contribute high sources along the coast where oil combustion contribution is also high. Results also find impacts from shipping activities along the coast. Spatiotemporal correlations indicate that secondary particles are more regionally distributed, as are biomass burning and dust, whereas impacts of other primary sources are more local. 60 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab.
- OSTI ID:
- 20978237
- Journal Information:
- Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association, Vol. 57, Issue 9; ISSN 1047-3289
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
02 PETROLEUM
09 BIOMASS FUELS
PARTICULATES
USA
POLLUTION SOURCES
PARTICLE SIZE
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
SHIPS
MARITIME TRANSPORT
URBAN AREAS
RURAL AREAS
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
VEHICLES
AUTOMOBILES
EXHAUST GASES
COMBUSTION
BIOMASS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
REGIONAL ANALYSIS
DATA ANALYSIS
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
MOBILE POLLUTANT SOURCES
COAL
STATIONARY POLLUTANT SOURCES
MASS BALANCE
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
FUEL OILS
PAPER INDUSTRY
AMMONIUM NITRATES
CARBON
AMMONIUM SULFATES
METAL INDUSTRY
MINERAL INDUSTRY
GEORGIA
ALABAMA
FLORIDA
SOUTH CAROLINA
TENNESSEE
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS