[Source apportionment of aerosol lead in Beijing using absolute principal component analysis]

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Atmospheric Chemistry
• Geochemistry

Context:

• Air quality monitoring in Beijing from September 2005 to September 2006.
• Analysis of 166 Total Suspended Particulate (TSP) samples from three distinct urban locations.
• Determination of lead and 28 other elements using ICP-AES and ICP-MS.

Purpose:

• To identify and quantify sources of aerosol lead pollution in Beijing.
• To investigate spatial distribution of lead concentrations and their sources.
• To inform targeted pollution reduction strategies.

Summary:

• Nonferrous metallurgy was the primary source of aerosol lead in Beijing, contributing 55.6%.
• Coal combustion (16.9%), construction dust (11.8%), and soil dust (10.2%) were also significant contributors.
• Lead concentrations were highest in the southern suburbs, indicating industrial sources located to the south of the city.

Impact:

• Findings highlight the need to target nonferrous metallurgy, particularly lead metallurgy in southern areas, for pollution reduction.
• Results suggest significant potential for reducing Beijing's aerosol lead levels through focused environmental management.
• Soil dust and construction dust were identified as major contributors to overall TSP levels (72.3%).