Air pollution by particulate matter in the industrialized city of Leoben, Austria

At seven sites in Leoben, Austria, aerosol particles were sampled in two size fractions by a dichotomous sampler using virtual impaction: the fine fraction (alveolar aerosol) with an aerodynamic diameter dac < 2.5 microns (PM2.5), and the coarse fraction (tracheobronchial aerosol) with an dac between 2.5 and 10 microns. It is believed that these particles are able to reach the lower regions of the human respiratory tract, and thus be responsible for most of the adverse health effects associated with suspended particulate pollution. A second sampling procedure was made collecting the PM2.5 fraction and after leaching with nitric acid, lead, zinc, cadmium, copper, chromium and vanadium were determined with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). For one sample point a third sampling was carried out and both fractions were subsequently leached with water and dilute hydrochloric acid. Pb, Zn, Mn, Fe, Cd, Ni, Cu, Rb, Sr, Mo, Cs, Ba and Tl were determined by ICP-MS.