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GC-MS analyses and chemometric processing to discriminate the local and long-distance sources of PAHs associated to atmospheric PM2.5

  • International Conference on Chemistry and the Environment in Zurich – ICCE 2011
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

This study presents a procedure to differentiate the local and remote sources of particulate-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Methods

Data were collected during an extended PM2.5 sampling campaign (2009–2010) carried out for 1 year in Venice-Mestre, Italy, at three stations with different emissive scenarios: urban, industrial, and semirural background. Diagnostic ratios and factor analysis were initially applied to point out the most probable sources. In a second step, the areal distribution of the identified sources was studied by applying the discriminant analysis on factor scores. Third, samples collected in days with similar atmospheric circulation patterns were grouped using a cluster analysis on wind data. Local contributions to PM2.5 and PAHs were then assessed by interpreting cluster results with chemical data.

Results

Results evidenced that significantly lower levels of PM2.5 and PAHs were found when faster winds changed air masses, whereas in presence of scarce ventilation, locally emitted pollutants were trapped and concentrations increased. This way, an estimation of pollutant loads due to local sources can be derived from data collected in days with similar wind patterns. Long-range contributions were detected by a cluster analysis on the air mass back-trajectories. Results revealed that PM2.5 concentrations were relatively high when air masses had passed over the Po Valley. However, external sources do not significantly contribute to the PAHs load.

Conclusions

The proposed procedure can be applied to other environments with minor modifications, and the obtained information can be useful to design local and national air pollution control strategies.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial support provided by Ente della Zona Industriale di Porto Marghera. The authors are very grateful to the local Environmental Protection Agency (ARPAV) managers and technicians for logistics, sampling and for the useful exchange of information. ARPAV-Centro Meteorologico di Teolo supplied part of weather data. The authors gratefully acknowledge having used the HYSPLIT transport and dispersion model compiled by the NOAA Air Resources Laboratory (ARL) and available in the READY website (http://www.arl.noaa.gov/ready.php).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica, Università Ca’ Foscari, Dorsoduro 2137, 30123, Venezia, Italy

    Mauro Masiol, Elena Centanni, Stefania Squizzato, Angelika Hofer, Eliana Pecorari, Giancarlo Rampazzo & Bruno Pavoni

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  1. Mauro Masiol
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  2. Elena Centanni
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  3. Stefania Squizzato
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  4. Angelika Hofer
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  5. Eliana Pecorari
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  6. Giancarlo Rampazzo
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  7. Bruno Pavoni
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Correspondence to Bruno Pavoni.

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Responsible editor: Leif Kronberg

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Masiol, M., Centanni, E., Squizzato, S. et al. GC-MS analyses and chemometric processing to discriminate the local and long-distance sources of PAHs associated to atmospheric PM2.5 . Environ Sci Pollut Res 19, 3142–3151 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-0858-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-0858-4

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