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Influences of natural emission sources (wildfires and Saharan dust) on the urban organic aerosol in Barcelona (Western Mediterranean Basis) during a PM event

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Abstract

The urban air quality in Barcelona in the Western Mediterranean Basin is characterized by overall high particulate matter (PM) concentrations, due to intensive local anthropogenic emissions and specific meteorological conditions. Moreover, on several days, especially in summer, natural PM sources, such as long-range transported Saharan dust from Northern Africa or wildfires on the Iberian Peninsula and around the Mediterranean Basin, may influence the levels and composition of the organic aerosol. In the second half of July 2009, daily collected PM10 filter samples in an urban background site in Barcelona were analyzed on organic tracer compounds representing several emission sources. During this period, an important PM peak event was observed. Individual organic compound concentrations increased two to five times during this event. Although highest increase was observed for the organic tracer of biomass burning, the contribution to the organic aerosol was estimated to be around 6 %. Organic tracers that could be related to Saharan dust showed no correlation with the PM and OC levels, while this was the case for those related to fossil fuel combustion from traffic emissions. Moreover, a change in the meteorological conditions gave way to an overall increase of the urban background contamination. Long-range atmospheric transport of organic compounds from primary emissions sources (i.e., wildfires and Saharan dust) has a relatively moderate impact on the organic aerosol in an urban area where the local emissions are dominating.

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Acknowledgments

Authors thank Dr. Xavier Querol of IDÆA-CSIC and Dr. M. Aceves of EMA for the valuable discussion and critically reading of the manuscript. Technical assistance from R. Chaler and D. Fanjul is acknowledged. Financial support for this study was provided by the Consolider-Ingenio Project GRACCIE (CSD2007-00067) and AERTRANS (CTQ2009-14777-C02-01).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Environmental Diagnostics and Water Research (IDÆA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18, 08034, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

    Barend L. van Drooge, Jordi F. Lopez & Joan O. Grimalt

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  1. Barend L. van Drooge
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  2. Jordi F. Lopez
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  3. Joan O. Grimalt
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Correspondence to Barend L. van Drooge.

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Responsible editor: Euripides Stephanou

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van Drooge, B.L., Lopez, J.F. & Grimalt, J.O. Influences of natural emission sources (wildfires and Saharan dust) on the urban organic aerosol in Barcelona (Western Mediterranean Basis) during a PM event. Environ Sci Pollut Res 19, 4159–4167 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-0890-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-0890-4

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