Author/Authors :
chou, c. c.-k. academia sinica - research center for environmental changes, Taipei, Taiwan , hsu, w.c. dahan institute of technology - department of civil engineering and environmental resources management, Hualien, Taiwan , chang, s.y. chung shan medical university - department of public health, Taichung, Taiwan , chen, w.n. academia sinica - research center for environmental changes, Taipei, Taiwan , chen, m.j. academia sinica - research center for environmental changes, Taipei, Taiwan , huang, w.r. academia sinica - research center for environmental changes, Taipei, Taiwan , huang, s.h. academia sinica - research center for environmental changes, Taipei, Taiwan , tsai, c.y. academia sinica - research center for environmental changes, Taipei, Taiwan , chang, s.c. national defense medical center - school of public health, Taipei, Taiwan , chang, s.c. environmental protection administration, Taipei, Taiwan , lee, c.t. national central university - graduate institute of environmental engineering, Taoyuan, Taiwan , liu, s.c. academia sinica - research center for environmental changes, Taipei, Taiwan
Abstract :
This study investigated seasonal variations in the mass concentration and chemical composition of ambient aerosols observed at three stations (coastal, mountainous, and downtown sites) in northern Taiwan from March 2009 to February 2012. The results show that the major aerosol components includeammonium, sulfate, nitrate, sea salt, dust, organic carbon, and elemental carbon, whereas the mass fractionof each species depends on the sampling location and season. A significant correlation (r = 0.7–0.8) was observed in aerosol concentrations measured at the respective stations, indicating that aerosol concentrations were dominated by regional-scale factors. Ammonium, sulfate, and nitrate consistently reached respective peak values in the spring in conjunction with dust particle levels. This shows that the transport of dust and particulate air pollutants from the Asian continent has affected the atmospheric environment in this area. Distinct seasonality was observed for sea salt and secondary organic carbon (SOC): sea salt levels peaked in the autumn, whereas SOC levels peaked in the summer, implying that their sources were regulated by independent seasonal factors. Correlation between sea salt concentration and surface wind speed was derived from coastal measurements and showed a high value for the wind speed sensitivity parameter of around 0.37 for our location. In addition, it was revealed that the SOC concentration in aerosols was positively correlated with oxidant photolysis index (Ox × UVB), suggesting that the SOC seasonality was dominated by hydroxyl radical production.
