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Constraining Carbonaceous Aerosol Sources in a Receptor Model Using Combined 14C, Redox Species, Organic Tracers, and Elementary/Organic Carbon Measurements
Citation:
Piletic, I., J. Offenberg, D. Olson, M. Jaoui, J. Krug, M. Lewandowski, J. Turlington, AND Tad Kleindienst. Constraining Carbonaceous Aerosol Sources in a Receptor Model Using Combined 14C, Redox Species, Organic Tracers, and Elementary/Organic Carbon Measurements. ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 80:216-225, (2013).
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:
Sources of carbonaceous PM2.5 were quantified in downtown Cleveland, OH and Chippewa Lake, OH located ~40 miles southwest of Cleveland during the Cleveland Multiple Air Pollutant Study (CMAPS). PM2.5 filter samples were collected daily during July-August 2009 and February 2010 to establish the seasonal emission patterns from local and regional sources. Radiocarbon (14C), redox species (NOx, SO2 and ozone), 28 primary and secondary organic aerosol tracers, elemental carbon (EC) and total organic carbon (OC) measurements were analyzed using the EPA Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model to apportion carbonaceous aerosol sources. Six sources were identified: diesel, gasoline, power plant emissions, biomass burning, other combustion (coal, waste incineration, meat cooking), and secondary organic aerosol (SOA). 14C (OCmodern) data were incorporated in PMF as a novel method to obtain the modern carbon fraction of each source individually. SOA was the principal OC source during summer while biomass burning and other combustion sources were dominant in winter. Elevated levels of EC and fossilized carbon in downtown Cleveland are primarily attributed to increased mobile source and coal combustion emissions. SO2 emissions from power plants correlated with aerosol sulfuric acid concentrations and SOA suggesting it may play an important role in SOA formation via acid-catalyzed reactions
URLs/Downloads:
IRP_CMAPSSOURCEAPPUSING14C_AE_MANUSCRIPT_REVISION_SUBMITTED WITH SUPPLEMENTAL.PDF (PDF, NA pp, 696.788 KB, about PDF)Atmospheric Environment
