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Recognition of the importance of geogenic sources in the content of metals in PM2.5 collected in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area

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Abstract

The study of airborne metals in urban areas is relevant due to their toxic effects on human health and organisms. In this study, we analyzed metals including rare earth elements (REE) in particles smaller than 2.5 μm (PM2.5), collected at five sites around the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA), during three periods in 2011: April (dry-warm season, DW), August (rainy season, R), and November (dry-cold season, DC). Principal component analysis allowed identifying factors related to geogenic sources and factors related to anthropogenic sources. The recognition of the high impact of geogenic sources in PM2.5 is in agreement with the REE distribution patterns, which show similar behavior as those shown by igneous rocks, confirming the influence of the regional geogenic material. Metals associated to geogenic sources showed higher concentration (p < 0.05) at NE of the MCMA and a significant correlation with prevalent winds. Geogenic metals show similar seasonal distribution, with the highest concentration during DW (p < 0.05), suggesting a possible metal resuspension effect which affects more significantly at lower relative humidity (RH). The metals associated with anthropogenic sources are in agreement with the urban complexity of the area, showing homogenous distribution throughout MCMA (p > 0.05) and no similar seasonal pattern among them. These unexpected results exposed outstanding information regarding the identification of different geogenic sources as the main contributors of metals in the atmospheric environment in the MCMA and highlighted the importance of meteorology in the spatial and seasonal metal patterns.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the NOAA Air Resources Laboratory (ARL) for the provision of the HYSPLIT transport and dispersion model and/or READY website (http://www.ready.noaa.gov) used in this publication.

Funding

This study was performed with financial support of Project 166295 from CONACyT (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología) and Project CPSG/087A/2014 FA from the SECyTI (Secretaría de Ciencia y Tecnología e Inovacción) as well as from Project IN116614 from DGAPA (Dirección General de Personal Académico, UNAM).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Cd. México, Mexico

    Ofelia Morton-Bermea, Rodrigo Garza-Galindo, Elizabeth Hernández-Álvarez, Sara L. Ordoñez-Godínez & Graciela L. Santos-Medina

  2. Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Cd. de México, Mexico

    Omar Amador-Muñoz, Javier Miranda & Irma Rosas-Pérez

  3. Instituto de Geología, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, 78240, San Luis Potosí SLP, Mexico

    Maria Elena Garcia-Arreola

  4. Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Cd. de México, Mexico

    Laura Beramendi-Orosco

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  1. Ofelia Morton-Bermea
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  2. Rodrigo Garza-Galindo
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  3. Elizabeth Hernández-Álvarez
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  4. Omar Amador-Muñoz
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  5. Maria Elena Garcia-Arreola
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  6. Sara L. Ordoñez-Godínez
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  7. Laura Beramendi-Orosco
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  8. Graciela L. Santos-Medina
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  9. Javier Miranda
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  10. Irma Rosas-Pérez
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Correspondence to Ofelia Morton-Bermea.

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Morton-Bermea, O., Garza-Galindo, R., Hernández-Álvarez, E. et al. Recognition of the importance of geogenic sources in the content of metals in PM2.5 collected in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area. Environ Monit Assess 190, 83 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-017-6443-z

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