ORCID
- Simon J. Ussher: 0000-0001-6724-9212
Abstract
In order to investigate the pollution characteristics of size-segregated particles and metal elements (MEs) after the Chinese Air Pollution Prevention Action Plan was released in 2013, an intensive field campaign was conducted in the suburban area of Chaoyang District, Beijing in winter 2016. The size distributions of particle mass concentrations were bimodal, with the first peak in the fine fraction (0.4–2.1 µm) and the second peak in the coarse fraction (3.3–5.8 µm). Moreover, the proportion of fine particles increased and the proportion of coarse particles decreased as the pollution level was more elevated. It was found that the composition of coarse particles is as important as that of fine particles when pollution of aerosol metals in the atmosphere in 2016 were compared to 2013. In addition, according to the size distribution characteristics, 23 MEs were divided into three groups: (a) Fe, Co, Sr, Al, Ti, Ba, and U, which concentrated in coarse mode; (b) Zn, As, Cd, Tl, and Pb, which concentrated in fine mode; and (c) Na, K, Be, V, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Mo, Ag, and Sn, showing bimodal distribution. Under clean air, slight pollution and moderate pollution conditions, most elements maintained their original size distributions, while under severe pollution, the unimodal distributions of most MEs became bimodal distributions. The factors analysis combined with size distributions indicated that Na, Zn, Mo, Ag, Cd, and Tl, showing the moderate to severe contamination on environment, were significantly influenced by diffuse regional emissions or anthropogenic source emissions (vehicle exhaust emissions and combustion process). The environmental risk assessment revealed that the heavy metal loading in the atmospheric particles collected had a high potential for ecological risk to the environment during sampling period because of the high contribution of Cd, Tl, Zn and Pb.
DOI Link
Publication Date
2021-03-15
Publication Title
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Volume
211
ISSN
0147-6513
Acceptance Date
2021-01-11
Deposit Date
2021-05-11
Funding
This work was supported by the National Research Program for Key Issues in Air Pollution Control (No. DQGG0304–05), the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Public Welfare Scientific Research Institute of China (No. 2016YSKY-025) and the National Department Public Benefit Research Foundation (No. 42075182). The European Commission Marie Skłodowska Curie Career Integration Grant supported time and resource for SJU (PCIG-GA-2012–778 333143 ‘DISCOSAT’). We would like to thank Na Ying and Junling Li for their help with English writing. The authors also thank Shije Liu for his contribution to the online data of daily average air pollutants PM2.5 and PM10.
Keywords
trace metals, heavy metals, size distribution, aerosol, Enrichment factor, Ecological risk, particulate matter
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Zhi, M., Zhang, X., Zhang, K., Ussher, S., Lv, W., Li, J., Gao, J., Luo, Y., & Meng, F. (2021) 'The characteristics of atmospheric particles and metal elements during winter in Beijing: Size distribution, source analysis, and environmental risk assessment', Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 211. Available at: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.111937
