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Identifying the sources driving observed PM2.5 temporal variability over Halifax, Nova Scotia, during BORTAS-B
Citation
Gibson, MD and Pierce, JR and Waugh, D and Kuchta, JS and Chisholm, L and Duck, TJ and Hopper, JT and Beauchamp, S and King, GH and Franklin, JE and Leaitch, WR and Wheeler, AJ and Li, Z and Gagnon, GA and Palmer, PI, Identifying the sources driving observed PM2.5 temporal variability over Halifax, Nova Scotia, during BORTAS-B, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 13 pp. 7199-7213. ISSN 1680-7316 (2013) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
© 2013 Author(s) Licenced under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
DOI: doi:10.5194/acp-13-7199-2013
Abstract
The source attribution of observed variability of
total PM2.5 concentrations over Halifax, Nova Scotia, was investigated
between 11 July and 26 August 2011 using measurements
of PM2.5 mass and PM2.5 chemical composition
(black carbon, organic matter, anions, cations and 33 elements).
This was part of the BORTAS-B (quantifying the
impact of BOReal forest fires on Tropospheric oxidants using
Aircraft and Satellites) experiment, which investigated
the atmospheric chemistry and transport of seasonal boreal
wildfire emissions over eastern Canada in 2011. The US
EPA Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) receptor model
was used to determine the average mass (percentage) source
contribution over the 45 days, which was estimated to be as
follows: long-range transport (LRT) pollution: 1.75 µg m−3
(47 %); LRT pollution marine mixture: 1.0 µg m−3
(27.9 %);
vehicles: 0.49 µg m−3
(13.2 %); fugitive dust: 0.23 µg m−3
(6.3 %); ship emissions: 0.13 µg m−3
(3.4 %); and refinery:
0.081 µg m−3
(2.2 %). The PMF model describes 87 % of
the observed variability in total PM2.5 mass (bias = 0.17 and
RSME = 1.5 µg m−3
). The factor identifications are based on
chemical markers, and they are supported by air mass back
trajectory analysis and local wind direction. Biomass burning
plumes, found by other surface and aircraft measurements,
were not significant enough to be identified in this
analysis. This paper presents the results of the PMF receptor
modelling, providing valuable insight into the local and
upwind sources impacting surface PM2.5 in Halifax and a
vital comparative data set for the other collocated groundbased
observations of atmospheric composition made during
BORTAS-B
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | air quality, particulate matter, fires |
| Research Division: | Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services |
| Research Group: | Human resources and industrial relations |
| Research Field: | Occupational and workplace health and safety |
| Objective Division: | Health |
| Objective Group: | Public health (excl. specific population health) |
| Objective Field: | Public health (excl. specific population health) not elsewhere classified |
| UTAS Author: | Wheeler, AJ (Dr Amanda Wheeler) |
| ID Code: | 101132 |
| Year Published: | 2013 |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 31 |
| Deposited By: | Menzies Institute for Medical Research |
| Deposited On: | 2015-06-10 |
| Last Modified: | 2017-11-03 |
| Downloads: | 623 View Download Statistics |
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