Composition and sources of fine particulate matter across urban and rural sites in the Midwestern United States

Abstract

The composition and sources of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) were investigated in rural and urban locations in Iowa, located in the agricultural and industrial Midwestern United States, from April 2009 to December 2012. Major chemical contributors to PM_2.5 mass were sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, and organic carbon. Non-parametric statistical analyses demonstrated that the two rural sites had significantly enhanced levels of crustal materials (Si, Al) driven by agricultural activities and unpaved roads. Meanwhile, the three urban areas had enhanced levels of secondary aerosols (nitrate, sulfate, and ammonium) and combustion products (elemental carbon). The Davenport site had significantly higher levels of PM_2.5 and trace metals (Fe, Pb, Zn), demonstrating the important local impact of industrial point sources on air quality. Sources of PM_2.5 were evaluated by using the multi-variant positive matrix factorization (PMF) source apportionment model. For each individual site, seven to nine factors were identified: secondary sulfate (accounting for 29–30% of PM_2.5), secondary nitrate (17–24%), biomass burning (9–21%), gasoline combustion (6–16%), diesel combustion (3–9%), dust (6–11%), industry (0.4–5%) and winter salt (2–6%). Source contributions demonstrated a clear urban enhancement in PM_2.5 from gasoline engines (by a factor of 1.14) and diesel engines (by a factor of 2.3), which is significant due to the well-documented negative health impacts of vehicular emissions. This study presents the first source apportionment results from the state of Iowa and is broadly applicable to understanding the differences in anthropogenic and natural sources in the urban–rural continuum of particle air pollution.