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Size-Differentiated Chemical Composition of Re-Suspended Soil Dust from the Desert Southwest United States
Citation:
Upadhyay, N., A. Clements, M. Fraser, M. Sunblom, P. Solomon, AND P. Herckes. Size-Differentiated Chemical Composition of Re-Suspended Soil Dust from the Desert Southwest United States. AEROSOL AND AIR QUALITY RESEARCH . Chinese Association for Aerosol Research in Taiwan, , Taiwan, Province Of China, 15(2):387-398, (2015).
Impact/Purpose:
The National Exposure Research Laboratory′s (NERL′s) Human Exposure and Atmospheric Sciences Division (HEASD) conducts research in support of EPA′s mission to protect human health and the environment. HEASD′s research program supports Goal 1 (Clean Air) and Goal 4 (Healthy People) of EPA′s strategic plan. More specifically, our division conducts research to characterize the movement of pollutants from the source to contact with humans. Our multidisciplinary research program produces Methods, Measurements, and Models to identify relationships between and characterize processes that link source emissions, environmental concentrations, human exposures, and target-tissue dose. The impact of these tools is improved regulatory programs and policies for EPA.
Description:
As part of the Desert Southwest Coarse Particulate Matter Study which characterized the composition of fine and coarse particulate matter in Pinal County, AZ, several source samples were collected from several different soil types to assist in source apportionment analysis of the study results. Soil types included native desert soils (NAT), agricultural soils (crop farming, AGR), dirt-road material adjacent to agricultural areas (DRA), paved road dusts (PAV), dirt road material from within and adjacent to a cattle feedlot (DRF), and material from an active cattle feedlot (FDL). Following laboratory resuspension of the soil, size-segregated PM2.5 and PM10 fractions for each source type were collected on filters and characterized for mass, ions, OC, EC, and trace elements. The unique chemical composition of soils in this region (e.g., high As and Sb) shows the importance of using local source profiles (e.g., native soils) as compared to Upper Continental Crust or soil profiles from other regions in receptor modeling studies. Results of the study indicate that local land-use activities modify the chemical composition of this native soil and that unique chemical signatures from different crustal materials can be found. For example, high OC and PO43- concentrations are indicative of material from a local cattle feedlot while elevated Cu, Sb, and Zn concentrations are found from sources impacted by motor vehicle traffic.
URLs/Downloads:
FINAL FINAL SOILCHARACTERIZATION_AAQRSUBMISSION_CLEANCOPY.PDF (PDF, NA pp, 1082.823 KB, about PDF)Aerosol and Air Quality Research
