Improve regional distribution and source apportionment of PM_2.5 trace elements in China using inventory-observation...

Contributions to 15 trace elements in airborne particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters <2.5μm (PM_2.5) in China from five major source sectors (industrial sources, residential sources, transportation, power generation and windblown dust) were determined using a source-oriented Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. Using emission factors in the composite speciation profiles from US EPA's SPECIATE database for the five sources leads to relatively poor model performance at an urban site in Beijing. Improved predictions of the trace elements are obtained by using adjusted emission factors derived from a robust multilinear regression of the CMAQ predicted primary source contributions and observation at the urban site. Good correlations between predictions and observations are obtained for most elements studied with R>0.5, except for crustal elements Al, Si and Ca, particularly in spring. Predicted annual and seasonal average concentrations of Mn, Fe, Zn and Pb in Nanjing and Chengdu are also consistently improved using the adjusted emission factors. Annual average concentration of Fe is as high as 2.0μgm^-3 with large contributions from power generation and transportation. Annual average concentration of Pb reaches 300-500ngm^-3 in vast areas, mainly from residential activities, transportation and power generation. The impact of high concentrations of Fe on secondary sulfate formation and Pb on human health should be evaluated carefully in future studies.