Source apportionment of fine and coarse particulate matter in a sub-urban area at the Western European Coast

Aerosol chemical composition data for PM2.5 and PM10–2.5, was acquired during the year 2001 at a sub-urban area located in the north outskirts of Lisbon. Principal component analysis (PCA) and multilinear regression analysis (MLRA) were used to identify possible sources of particulate matter (PM) and to determine their mass contribution. Seven main groups of sources were identified: soil, sea, secondary aerosols, road traffic, fuel-oil combustion, coal combustion and a Se/Hg emission source. In PM2.5, secondary aerosol and vehicle exhaust contributed on average, with 25% and 22% to total mass, respectively, while sea spray and soil represented, respectively, 47% and 20% of the coarse fraction mass loading. Maritime air mass transport has a significant role on air quality in the North of Lisbon. Maritime transport scenarios are very frequent and promote the decrease of anthropogenic and mineral aerosol concentrations. The highest PM levels were recorded during South Continental episodes. These episodes are characterized by high mineral aerosol contents, due to the transport of dust from the interior of Iberian Peninsula and the Sahara desert. After identifying the contribution of PM sources, it is possible to conclude that abatement strategies to improve local air quality should focus on traffic and on non-mobile combustion processes emitting sulphur and NOx, which conduce to the formation of secondary aerosols.