Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a ubiquitous contaminant in urban environments. Although numerous sources of PAHs to urban runoff have been identified, their relative importance remains uncertain. We show that a previously unidentified source of urban PAHs, parking lot sealcoat, may dominate loading of PAHs to urban water bodies in the United States. Particles in runoff from parking...

Airborne particles and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in industrial, background and urban atmosphere environments were investigated using toxic equivalent factors (TEFs) in central Taiwan during the period of August-December 2002. Concentrations of airborne particles were 93.4, 81.3 and 102.4 microg/m3 for industrial, background and urban sites, respectively. Concentrations of 21 gaseo...

In this study 3.5min average bulk aerosol composition data recorded from aircraft during ACE-ASIA C130 Flight #6 are used to investigate the extent of fine particle (Dp 50 o 1.3mm) mixing among various inorganic aerosol particle constituents. Dust-laden air masses that had mixed with urban air pollutants over the Beijing and Tianjin region were subsequently recorded in the marine boundary layer...

Particulate matter accumulated on car engine air-filters (CAFs) was examined in order to investigate the potential use of these devices as efficient samplers for collecting street level air that people are exposed to. The morphology, microstructure, and chemical composition of a variety of particles were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX). The par...

Carbonaceous aerosols are responsible for large uncertainties in climate models, degraded visibility, and adverse health effects. The Carbonaceous Aerosols and Radiative Effects Study (CARES) was designed to study carbonaceous aerosols in the natural environment of the Central Valley, California, and learn more about their atmospheric formation and aging. This paper presents results from spectr...

Ambient aerosol during a heavily polluted episode in wintertime was characterized using real-time single particle aerosol mass spectrometry (SPAMS) in urban Nanning, a capital city in the Southwestern China. More than two million individual particles analyzed by SPAMS were classified into 8 major clusters based on the mass spectral patterns. A group of vanadium-rich particles were identified as...

High molecular weight compounds in urban atmospheric particles V. Samburova et al. High molecular weight compounds in urban atmospheric particles V. Samburova et al. Abstract The chemical nature of a large fraction of ambient organic aerosol particles is not known. However, high molecular weight compounds (often named humic-like substances) have recently been detected by several authors and the...

Due to their detrimental effects on human health, the scientific interest in ultrafine particles (UFP) has been increasing, but available information is far from comprehensive. Compared to the remaining population, the elderly are potentially highly susceptible to the effects of outdoor air pollution. Thus, this study aimed to (1) determine the levels of outdoor pollutants in an urban area with...