Analysis of Seasonal Changes of Atmospheric Aerosols on Different Scales in Europe Using Sequentially Nested Simulations

Long-term simulations of atmospheric pollutants containing aerosols as an essential component may conveniently be used to support the assessment of the role of suspended particulate matter for the atmospheric environment on various temporal and spatial scales. They can help to bridge gaps of our knowledge and thus to broaden the range of applications of observations in various respects. This holds, among others, for the distribution of aerosols and its variability in space and time, their generation, emission and resulting source-receptor relationships, their spectral distribution and possible composition. For instance, the finest particle fraction cannot yet efficiently be measured by existing observational networks. Regarding the possibility that this component is mainly responsible for adverse impacts of aerosols on human health, simulations of monitored components – usually total suspended particulates (TSP), PM10 or PM2.5 – may be employed to establish useful quantitative relationships between these parameters and the finer particle mode of the aerosol spectrum and apply it to health impact studies.