Relationships among Particle Fractions of Urban and Non-Urban Aerosols

Received: May 31, 2003
Revised: May 31, 2003
Accepted: May 31, 2003
Download Citation: RIS|BibTeX|https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.2003.06.0002  

Cite this article:
Sun, C.H., Lin, Y.C. and Wang, C.S. (2003). Relationships among Particle Fractions of Urban and Non-Urban Aerosols. Aerosol Air Qual. Res. 3: 7-15. https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.2003.06.0002

ABSTRACT

Data on mass concentrations of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5, obtained at four urban sites in western Taiwan from 1998 to 2000, were analyzed to examine the pattern of seasonal and yearly variations in the PM_2.5/PM_10-2.5 ratio, the relationship among particle fractions and the variability of each particle fraction. The results were compared with those reported in the literature for urban and non-urban areas in several countries. Even though the annual mean of the PM_2.5/PM_10-2.5 ratio at a site might fall within a relatively narrow range over several years, the seasonal mean of the ratio could still vary considerably within a year. These results imply that there is no long-term characteristic value of the ratio for a community. Furthermore, different urban areas did not necessarily have similar ranges of the ratio. Results for the relationship among particle fractions and the variability of each particle fraction also indicated significant differences between communities. For the areas where both PM_2.5 and PM_10-2.5 are moderately correlated with PM₁₀, separate measurements of PM_2.5 and PM_10-2.5 are needed for a better assessment of the underlying causes for the health effects of particulate matter.

Keywords: Ambient aerosol; Fine particles, Coarse particles; PM2.5; PM10