Title: Seasonal apportionment of the sources of ambient air particulates in the city of Trieste

Authors: Aleksander Astel, Sergio Cozzutto, Federico Cozzi, Gianpiero Adami, Pierluigi Barbieri, Stefan Tsakovski, Vasil Simeonov

Addresses: Environmental Chemistry Research Unit, Biology and Environmental Protection Institute, Pomeranian Academy, 22a Arciszewskiego Str., 76-200 Slupsk, Poland. ' Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Universita degli Studi di Trieste, 34127 Trieste Via Giorgieri 1, Italy. ' Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Universita degli Studi di Trieste, 34127 Trieste Via Giorgieri 1, Italy. ' Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Universita degli Studi di Trieste, 34127 Trieste Via Giorgieri 1, Italy. ' Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Universita degli Studi di Trieste, 34127 Trieste Via Giorgieri 1, Italy. ' Faculty of Chemistry, University of Sofia 'St. Kl. Okhridski', 1164 Sofia, J. Bourchier Blvd. 1, Bulgaria. ' Faculty of Chemistry, University of Sofia 'St. Kl. Okhridski', 1164 Sofia, J. Bourchier Blvd. 1, Bulgaria

Abstract: A PCA/APCS model was applied to PM2.5 data, which were collected for the Svevo and Muggia districts of the City of Trieste. The sampling campaigns covered the winter and summer periods of 2006. The set of investigated species comprised major inorganic ions, organic and elemental carbon and several Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) that were considered as probable or possible carcinogens by internationally recognised health and environmental agencies. Identified pollution sources included vehicle engine combustion (|traffic|), |secondary emission|, |domestic combustion processes| and |sea spray|. |Secondary emission and combustion| dominated, with a total contribution over 74%. The traffic contribution was quantified as 2–16%, while sea spray was 4–13%. In general, possible or probable carcinogenic PAHs were related to the |traffic| source. The high correlation coefficient (R² > 0.90) between the measured and predicted values proves that the PCA/APCS modelling is an efficient tool for the estimation of pollution sources| contribution to PM2.5 composition.

Keywords: urban pollution; air pollution; source apportionment; environmetrics; particulate matter; carcinogenic polyaromatic hydrocarbons; PAH; air quality; Trieste; Italy; particulate matter.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2010.032246

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2010 Vol.41 No.1/2, pp.70 - 89

Published online: 17 Mar 2010 *

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