Potential Source Analysis for PM10 and PM2.5 in Autumn in a Northern City in China

Abstract

In this study, PM10 and PM2.5 samples were obtained in a northern city in China. The 12-h averaged concentrations of particulate matter and species were analyzed. A PCA-MLR model was applied to identify the potential source categories and to estimate the source contributions for the PM10 and PM2.5 datasets. Five factors were extracted for the PM10 samples, and their percentage contributions were estimated as follows: crustal dust—39.87%; vehicle exhaust—30.16%; secondary sulfate and nitrate—14.42%; metal emission source—6.77%; and residual oil combustion source—1.82%. Four factors were resolved for the PM2.5 dataset, and their contributions were obtained: crustal dust—35.81%; vehicle exhaust—22.67%; secondary sulfate and nitrate—32.35%; and metal emission and residual oil combustion sources—4.57%. In addition, a Potential Source Contribution Function (PSCF) was used to investigate the possible locations of the major sources. The PSCF results showed that for each source category, PM10 and PM2.5 had similar potential source areas.