title: Exploratory studies of PM10 receptor and source profiling by GC/MS and principal component analysis of temporally and spatially resolved ambient samples.
abstract: For a recent exploratory study of particulate matter (PM) compositions, origins, and impacts in the El Paso/Juarez (Paso del Norte) airshed, the authors relied on solvent extraction (SX)-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) procedures to characterize 24-hr quartz fiber (QF) filter samples obtained from nine spatially distributed high-volume (Hi-Vol) PM10 samplers as well as on thermal desorption (TD)-GC/MS methods to characterize 45 time-resolved (2-hr) filter samples obtained with modified 1-m3/hr PM10 samplers. Principal component analysis and related chemometric techniques were used for data reduction and data fusion as well as for multiway data correlation. A high degree of correspondence (R2 = 0.821) was found between the rapid TD-GC/MS method (which can be carried out on 2-hr filter slices containing only microgram amounts of sample) and conventional SX-GC/MS procedures. The four main source patterns of organic PM components observed in GC/MS profiles of both temporally and spatially resolved receptor samples obtained in the El Paso/Juarez border airshed during the study period are interpreted to represent (1) vehicular emissions plus resuspended urban dust; (2) biomass combustion; (3) native vegetation detritus and resuspended agricultural dust; and (4) waste burning. Moreover, principal component analysis of combined, variance-weighted, temporally resolved TD-GC/MS data and spatially resolved SX-GC/MS data was used to determine approximate source locations for specific PM components identified in time-resolved receptor sample profiles. The same approach can be used to determine approximate circadian concentration profiles of specific PM components identified in spatially resolved receptor sample profiles.
authors.affiliation: University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Meuzelaar
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Sheya
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lighty
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Jarman
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kasteler
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Sarofim
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Simoneit
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D002947:Cities; D004391:Dust; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D010316:Particle Size; D010944:Plants; D001335:Vehicle Emissions
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D001335:Vehicle Emissions