title: Spatial distribution and sources identification of elements in PM2.5 among the coastal city group in the Western Taiwan Strait region, China.
abstract: The main purpose of this study was to investigate the spatial variations of 20 elements (Al, Si, Ti, Ca, Fe, Mg, Cr, Mn, Ni, P, S, K, Cu, Cl, V, Se, Br, As, Zn, and Pb) in PM(2.5) (particle matters ≤ 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter) in the coastal city group in the Western Taiwan Strait (WTS) region, China during spring 2011. The average PM(2.5) mass concentration at 13 sites was 77.0 μg/m(3) and the elemental fraction accounted for about 10-20%. Multivariate analyses (principal component analysis and cluster analysis) and a correlation matrix were used to identify the sources of elements in PM(2.5). The results revealed that the elements originated mainly from traffic emissions, coal combustion, pyrometallurgical processes, and crustal sources. Spatially, the concentrations of elements were generally higher in several rapidly growing locations, and the enrichment factors (EFs) for most elements were much higher at the northern sites than those at the southern sites, suggesting that the air quality in the northern part of the study area was strongly affected by anthropogenic activity. Backward wind trajectory analysis during the sampling period indicated that the concentrations of elements in PM(2.5) in the WTS region were greatly impacted by dust particles transported from Northern China in spring.
authors.affiliation: Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China.
authors.forename: Lingling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yanke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jianshuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jinsheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhenchuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: Liqian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Fuwang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Yanting
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D002681:China; D002947:Cities; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010316:Particle Size; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D011156:Population Density; D025341:Principal Component Analysis
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter