TY - JOUR
T1 - Secondary organic aerosol contributions to PM2.5 in Monterrey, Mexico
T2 - Temporal and seasonal variation
AU - Mancilla, Yasmany
AU - Herckes, Pierre
AU - Fraser, Matthew
AU - Mendoza, Alberto
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Mexican National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT) through grant number CB-2010-154122 and the Tecnológico de Monterrey through grant number 0020CAT186 . Yasmany Mancilla received additional support (a scholarship) through the CONACYT. We appreciate the support from the Municipality of Monterrey during the field campaigns conducted in this study. In addition, we appreciate the participation of Andrea Clements who provided laboratory analyses.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2015/2/1
Y1 - 2015/2/1
N2 - Air pollution caused by fine particles is a problem of great concern in the Monterrey Metropolitan Area (MMA) which is the third largest city and the second most important industrial center in Mexico. In this study, samples of fine particulate matter emissions with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5μm (PM2.5) were collected for 12-hour periods during the spring and fall of 2011 and 2012. Eighty-three samples were analyzed for organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC). The carbonaceous fraction (OC+EC) accounted for 28-55% of the PM2.5 mass. The average OC/EC ratios ranged from 7.4 to 12.6, and OC and EC concentrations were statistically significant correlated (R2=0.81, p<0.01). The secondary organic aerosol (SOA) contributions were determined using two approaches: the EC tracer method based on a primary OC/EC ratio derived from a tunnel study and the minimum observed OC/EC ratio. SOAs were determined to constitute, on average, 59-87% and 32-45% of the total OC and PM2.5, respectively. The relationship between O3 and wind speed indicated that pollutant levels were influenced by transport events during the spring, while stagnation events predominated during the fall campaigns. Statistically significant correlations were observed between OC and EC and gaseous species (CO, NOx, and SO2), indicating a contribution by combustion of fossil fuels to the carbonaceous material.
AB - Air pollution caused by fine particles is a problem of great concern in the Monterrey Metropolitan Area (MMA) which is the third largest city and the second most important industrial center in Mexico. In this study, samples of fine particulate matter emissions with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5μm (PM2.5) were collected for 12-hour periods during the spring and fall of 2011 and 2012. Eighty-three samples were analyzed for organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC). The carbonaceous fraction (OC+EC) accounted for 28-55% of the PM2.5 mass. The average OC/EC ratios ranged from 7.4 to 12.6, and OC and EC concentrations were statistically significant correlated (R2=0.81, p<0.01). The secondary organic aerosol (SOA) contributions were determined using two approaches: the EC tracer method based on a primary OC/EC ratio derived from a tunnel study and the minimum observed OC/EC ratio. SOAs were determined to constitute, on average, 59-87% and 32-45% of the total OC and PM2.5, respectively. The relationship between O3 and wind speed indicated that pollutant levels were influenced by transport events during the spring, while stagnation events predominated during the fall campaigns. Statistically significant correlations were observed between OC and EC and gaseous species (CO, NOx, and SO2), indicating a contribution by combustion of fossil fuels to the carbonaceous material.
KW - Atmospheric aerosols
KW - EC tracer method
KW - Monterrey
KW - PM
KW - Secondary organic aerosols
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84911059550&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84911059550&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.atmosres.2014.09.009
DO - 10.1016/j.atmosres.2014.09.009
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84911059550
SN - 0169-8095
VL - 153
SP - 348
EP - 359
JO - Journal de Recherches Atmospheriques
JF - Journal de Recherches Atmospheriques
ER -