Three-hour sample of the atmospheric aerosol over Sakai were continuously collected on two kinds of filter, made of teflon and quartz, by using the automated sampling system. Filter samples obtained during Dec. 9 to 14, 1986 were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis. ion chromatography and pyrolytic carbon analysis, and more than thirty major to trace constituents of the atmospheric aerosol were quantitatively determined.
Major constituents were C, Cl, NO
3-, SO4
2-, NH
4+, Ca, Al, Fe, Na, K and so on. In addition to the constituents from primary emission sources such as motor vehicles, soil and dust, secondary-formed particles sich as particulate nitrate, sulfate and ammonium chloride, contributed much to the concentration of the atmospheric aerosol.
Concentrations of atmospheric particulate pollutants near the ground surface were closely connected with weather conditions. Diurnal variations of these concentrations were different with each other, because some of these pollutants are primary particles from different emission sources, which have different particle sizes, and others are secondary-formed products, which were formed from different precursive gaseous matters and through different reaction mechanisms with each other. The bimodal pattern of diurnal variation in concentration of the atmospheric aerosol is mainly caused by that of C, which is the most major constituent. Constituent elements of Al, Ca, Sc, La, Ce, Sm, Th and so on, highly correlated with each other, and it is considered that these originated mainly from soil and road dust, because these concentrations rapidly dropped when it rained.
The wind direction, when concentrated V, Ni, Co and Mo were observed in the atmospheric aerosol, indicated that particles bearing these elements came from the coastal industrial zone, where petroleum refining and petrochemical complex plants were located. That is to say, particles containing highly concentrated Ni, Co and Mo together with V were emitted from fuel oil combustion and petroleum refining. By a similar reason, highly concentrated W was due to particles emitted from the rail-way near the sampling site.
Minor constituent elements, such as As, Se, Br and Sb, showed violent variations in concentration, and none of these highly correlated with the other constituents. This suggests that these elements are probably adsorbed and/or condepnsed on the surface of fine particles emitted from fuel oil combustion.
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