Trajectory-Assisted Source Apportionment of Winter-Time Aerosol Using Semi-continuous Measurements

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Atmospheric Chemistry
• Air Quality Management

Background:

• Receptor models like positive matrix factorization (PMF) are crucial for air quality control.
• Integrating trajectory analysis with receptor modeling enhances identification of long-range aerosol transport impacts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To apply an integrated trajectory-source apportionment approach in Taipei City.
• To identify and quantify sources contributing to PM2.5 in a densely populated urban area.

Main Methods:

• Utilized hourly measurements in Taipei City.
• Employed positive matrix factorization (PMF) to identify seven potential sources.
• Integrated trajectory analysis with PMF for source apportionment.

Main Results:

• Identified seven major PM2.5 sources: ammonium sulfate (33%), coal/marine (18%), industry/vehicle (16%), oil combustion, firework/firecracker, dust, and vehicle.
• Differentiated contributions from long-range transported ammonium sulfate sources.
• Revealed detailed source contributions during PM2.5 event periods using time-resolved data.

Conclusions:

• The integrated approach effectively identified and quantified PM2.5 sources in Taipei.
• Ammonium sulfate-related sources are the primary contributors to urban air pollution in the study area.
• Understanding source-specific contributions aids in developing targeted air quality management strategies.