Chemical composition and mass closure for PM2.5 and PM10 aerosols at K-puszta, Hungary, in summer 2006

A comprehensive chemical aerosol characterisation was carried out at K-puszta, Hungary, from 24 May until 29 June 2006. Up to 11 June it was unusually cold at the site, but from 12 June onwards it was warm. PM2.5 and PM10 samplers with Nuclepore polycarbonate filters and quartz fibre filters were deployed in parallel for mostly day and night collections. All samples were analysed for the particulate mass (PM) by weighing. The Nuclepore polycarbonate filters were analysed for up to 29 elements by particle-induced x-ray emission spectrometry (PIXE) and for major anions and cations by ion chromatography. The quartz fibre filters were analysed for organic and elemental carbon by a thermal-optical transmission technique. The atmospheric concentrations of the PM and most species and elements were higher during the warm period than during the cold one. Aerosol chemical mass closure calculations were done for the PM(2.)5 and PM10 aerosols. As gravimetric PM data we used the data from the Nuclepore polycarbonate filters. For reconstituting this PM, eight aerosol components were considered. Organic matter contributed by far the most to the PM2.5 and PM10 PM; it was responsible for 40-50% of the average PM. Noteworthy were the much larger percentages of crustal matter during the warm period than during the cold one. In the PM(2.)5 aerosol, crustal matter accounted for 17% of the average PM during the warm period, but only for 3.1% during the cold period. For the PM10 aerosol, the percentages were 28% in the warm period and 10% in the cold one. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.