Chemical and mineralogical composition of solid fraction of ambient aerosol at different levels (Kopisty near Most, NW Bohemia)

The dependence of the chemical and mineralogical composition of solid fraction of aerosols on the sampling height was studied using a meteorological mast located in a highly industrialized region of the Czech Republic. The aerosol was collected at an altitude of 2, 20, 40, 60 and 80 m above the earthʹs surface using a high-volume impactor capable of sampling all the particles with a diameter greater than 0.5 μm. The contents of seven identified minerals indicated that the concentration of soil minerals in the solid fraction of aerosol decreases sharply with altitude, whereas the proportion of fly ash emitted by coal-powered power plants in the region increases with altitude. The lowest concentration of aerosol was found at a sampling height of 40 m.