title: Air pollutants and the characterization of the organic content of aerosol particles in a mixed industrial/semi-rural area in central Italy.
abstract: Both regulated and unregulated air pollutants were detected during an intensive seasonal sampling campaign in a mixed industrial/semi-rural area on the outskirts of Rome, Italy, at two sites located opposite a hospital waste incinerator, downwind according to the direction of the prevailing local winds. Concentrations of pollutants were significantly lower than in urban atmospheres. The composition of particulate organic material indicated a heavy biogenic impact, accompanied by a lower contribution from petroleum-related processes. Both PAH and nitro-PAH group compositions of particulates were used to assess the nature and relative importance of sources. Both sites showed that different and diffuse sources contributed to local pollution with a significant contribution from traffic, proving that the hospital waste incinerator was not the main pollution source in this area. Among unregulated compounds, a series of positional isomers of nitro-PAHs and other organic compounds associated with particulate matter were investigated. In particular, 1- and 3-nitrophenanthrene identification was carried out, and they proved to be the most abundant nitro-PAHs.
authors.affiliation: DIPIA-ISPESL, Via di Fontana Candida 1, 00040 Monteporzio Catone RM, Italy. patrizia.difilippo@ispesl.it
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Di Filippo
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Riccardi
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gariazzo
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Incoronato
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pomata
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spicaglia
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cecinato
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols / Q000032:analysis*; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D002947:Cities; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005843:Geography; D007221:Industry; D007558:Italy; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification; D010316:Particle Size; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification; D012384:Rome; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D000393:Air Pollutants; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D052638:Particulate Matter; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons