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Source Apportionment Studies Of PM-2.5 In Two Czech Cities: Possible Uses In Health Studies
Citation:
Pinto, J P., P. K. Hopke, AND Z. Ramadan. Source Apportionment Studies Of PM-2.5 In Two Czech Cities: Possible Uses In Health Studies. Presented at International Society of Environmental Epidemiology, Garmish-Partenkirche, Germany, September 2001.
Description:
Aerosol and gas phase air pollutant measurements were made in two cities during an ongoing air pollution-health outcome study in the Czech Republic. Teplice, located in northwestern Bohemia, was selected because the local population was exposed to high air pollution levels. Prachatice, located in southern Bohemia, was selected initially as a control location because the population there was exposed to lower air pollution levels. Data for concentrations of SO2, oxides of nitrogen, CO, PM-2.5, PM10, trace elements, elemental carbon, organic carbon and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were obtained in both cities. Data obtained in Teplice and Prachatice indicate that fine particulate matter (PM-2.5) consisted mainly of organic carbon and sulfate with smaller amounts of trace metals. Coarse particle mass (PM10 - 2.5) was dominated by crustal material and concentrations were typically between 10 and 30% of PM2.5 concentrations.
The positive matrix factorization technique (PMF) was used to determine the relative contributions of different source categories to the time series of ambient PM-2.5 concentrations in Teplice and Prachatice. Major sources of PM-2.5 in Teplice during the winter were local burning of lignite, long range transport (mainly of sulfate), waste incineration, and motor vehicles. During the warmer seasons, long-range transport from outside the local airshed was the dominant source of PM-2.5.
The transport of sulfate from distant power plants, three local sources burning lignite, oil and wood for fuel, motor vehicles, and crustal material were the major sources of aerosol mass found in Prachatice. These source categories are similar to those found in Teplice. However, long range transport of sulfate may have played a more important role in determining PM levels in Prachatice than in Teplice. Because both cities are located in valleys, the contribution of local sources relative to larger regional sources is enhanced during winter stagnation events. It is anticipated that the resulting time series of source contributions determined by the PMF technique will be used in air pollution-health outcome studies.