title: Elemental analysis of aerosols in Tehran's atmosphere using PIXE and identification of pollution sources.
abstract: In this study, the proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) technique has been applied to measure the elemental composition and concentrations of particulate matter of 220 samples of aerosols in Tehran's atmosphere within a 450-day time interval starting from March 2009 and ending in June 2010, covering all four seasons. PIXE analysis shows the samples are comprised of various elements including Al, Si, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br, Rb, Sr, and Pb. Also, to obtain more information about the sources of pollution and to identify the major sources of urban particulate matter, principal component analysis (PCA) was used. Furthermore, micro-PIXE was performed to study individual aerosols in some samples. Results revealed that the concentration of elements originating from vehicle emissions increases three times in winter; whereas the concentration of elements with soil origin remains constant. Based on wind rose maps, it is inferred that the high concentrations of the elements Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, and Fe are associated with natural dust brought by winds into Tehran from the west.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Science Research School, Nuclear Science & Technology Research Institute (NSTRI), Tehran, Iran, narcissi.esm@gmail.com.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Esmaili
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khashman
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lamehi-Rachti
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Agha Aligol
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shokouhi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Oliaiy
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farmahini Farahani
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols / Q000032:analysis*; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D001272:Atmosphere / Q000737:chemistry*; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D007492:Iran; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012621:Seasons; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D000393:Air Pollutants; D004391:Dust; D052638:Particulate Matter; D001335:Vehicle Emissions