Improving Source Apportionment of Urban Aerosol Using Multi-Isotopic Fingerprints (MIF) and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF): Cross-Validation and New Insights

Urban air pollution is a matter of concern due to its health hazards and the continuous population growth exposed it at different urban areas worldwide. Nowadays, more than 55% world live in areas. One main challenges guide control policies related pollutant source assessment. In this line, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Positive Matrix Factorization (EPA-PMF) has been extensively employed worldwide as reference model for quantification contributions. However, EPA-PMF presents issues associated identification discrimination collinearities among tracers. Multi-Isotopic Fingerprints (MIF) have demonstrated good resolution discrimination, since sources are characterized by specific isotopic signatures. Source based on total aerosol mass limitation MIF. This study reports strategies PMF MIF combination improve identification/discrimination We three findings: (1) cross-validation Pb Zn fingerprints, (2) apportionment PM mass, (3) new insights into potential signatures biomass burning secondary aerosol. support future studies improvement fingerprints database diverse elements or compounds boost advances applications atmospheric sciences.