Record Display for the EPA National Library Catalog

RECORD NUMBER: 3 OF 10

Main Title Chemical Element Balance Analysis of Denver Aerosol.
Author Dzubay, T. G. ; Stevens, R. K. ; Courtney, W. J. ; Drane, E. A. ;
CORP Author Environmental Sciences Research Lab., Research Triangle Park, NC.
Year Published 1981
Report Number EPA-600/D-82-061;
Stock Number PB82-167180
Additional Subjects Air pollution ; Gas analysis ; Particles ; Weight(Mass) ; Air filters ; Chemical analysis ; X ray fluorescence ; Reprints ; Air pollution sampling ; Air pollution detection ; Chemical element balance method ; Denver(Colorado)
Holdings
Library Call Number Additional Info Location Last
Modified
Checkout
Status
NTIS  PB82-167180 Some EPA libraries have a fiche copy filed under the call number shown. 07/26/2022
Collation 14p
Abstract
Particulate samples, collected on Teflon filters by dichotomous samplers in Denver, Colorado, for 12 months during 1979, were analyzed for mass by beta radiation attenuation and for elemental composition by x-ray fluorescence. The resulting data were analyzed in terms of a chemical element balance method to resolve particulate mass into the following six components: ammonium sulfate, motor vehicle exhaust, shale, limestone, road salt, and refuse incineration. Time series plots of monthly values revealed that the road salt component was important only during winter and that the motor vehicle exhaust component was substantially elevated during fall and winter. Although the magnitude of the motor vehicle component in the fine particle fraction was elevated during the fall-winter season, its percentage contribution to the total observed mass (about 25%) remained reasonably constant throughout the year. The six components plus carbon and nitrate account for almost all of the total particulate mass, although the chemical element balance model underestimated by a factor of 4 the amount of carbon during January. Further mathematical analysis of the data to apportion the carbon more accurately and additional analyses to determine crystalline phases and individual particles are needed and discussed.