Organic aerosols in the Miami area, USA: temporal variability of atmospheric particles and wet/dry deposition.
Atmospheric particulate matter and both wet and dry deposition was collected over a period of nine months at one location in the metropolitan area of Miami, Florida. Molecular distributions and concentrations of n-alkanes, fatty acids, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and hopanes were determined using weekly composite samples over this time period in order to determine temporal variability, and their possible dependence on climatic parameters such as temperature, rainfall and wind direction and frequency. Based on molecular distributions of the compounds studied, potential emission sources for the atmospheric particles were assessed and suggested to be mainly derived from automobile exhaust and natural sources. Although wet and dry deposition processes were observed to remove about equal amounts of organic aerosols from the Miami atmosphere, dry deposition was dominant in the removal of anthropogenically derived compounds such as PAHs and hopanes. Only very limited seasonal trends were observed, while wind direction and frequency was found to be the most important meteorological parameter controlling the temporal variability of the organic aerosols. This is the first detailed report of this nature for the Miami area.
Lang
Qingyong
Q
Department of Chemistry and Southeast Environmental Research Center, Florida International University, Miami 33199, USA.
Zhang
Qian
Q
Jaffé
Rudolf
R
D000336:Aerosols / Q000032:analysis*; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000473:Alkanes / Q000032:analysis*; D002947:Cities; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D005431:Florida; D010316:Particle Size; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D011891:Rain; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014919:Wind
D000336:Aerosols; D000393:Air Pollutants; D000473:Alkanes; D005227:Fatty Acids; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons