Total suspended particulates (TSP) samples were collected using low pressure impactors (Andersen Series 20-800, USA) on typical clear, hazy and foggy days in Beijing in order to investigate the characteristics of size distributions and elemental compositions of particulate matter (PM) in different weather conditions. The concentrations of sixteen elements, including Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Ba, T1 and Pb were detected using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results showed that Ca, A1, Fe, Mg and Ba on foggy days were 2.0 2.6 times higher than on clear days, and 2.3-2.9 times higher than on hazy days. Concentrations of Cu, Zn, As, Se and Pb on foggy days were 163.5, 1186.7, 65.9, 32.0 and 708.2 ng m-3, respectively, in fine particles, and 68.1, 289.5, 19.8, 1.6 and 103.8 ng m-3, respectively, in coarse particles. This was 1.0~8.4 times higher and 1.4-7.4 times higher than on clear and hazy days, respectively. It is then shown that Mg, A1, Fe, Ca and Ba were mainly associated with coarse particles, peaking at 4.7~5.8 μm; that Cd, Se, Zn, As, T1 and Pb were most dominant in fine particles, peaking at 0.43-1.1 μm; and that Na, K, Ni, Cu and Mn had a multi-mode distribution, with peaks at 0.43-1.1 μm and 4.7-5.8 μm. The enrichment factors indicated that coal combustion along with vehicle and industry emissions may be the main sources of pollution elements.
The Chinese Sun Hazemeter Network (CSHNET) provides the necessary ground-based observation to validate and assess the applicability of MODIS aerosol optical depth (AOD) products over different ecological and geographic regions in China for the first time. The validation results show that the comprehensive utilization ratio and applicability of MODIS products varied very much over different regions and seasons from August 2004 to July 2005. On the Tibetan Plateau, the comprehensive utili- zation ratio of MODIS data was low: MODIS products only accounted for 16% of the ground-based observation; on average, 31% to 45% of MODIS products fell within the retrieval errors issued by NASA. A similar result was found in northern desert areas with the ratio of MODIS to observation ranging from 15% to 55%, with 7% to 39% of MODIS products within errors. In the remote northeast corner of China, low ratios of MODIS to observation were also found ranging from 14% to 46%, with 49% to 69% of MODIS within errors. The forested sites exhibited moderate ratios of MODIS to observation ranging from 46% to 65%, with 30% to 59% of MODIS within errors. This was similar to numbers observed at sites along eastern seashore of China and inland urban sites with the ratio of MODIS to observation between 63% to 75%, with 25% to 67% of MODIS within errors for sites along eastern seashore of China and 43% to 78%, with 35% to 75% of MODIS within errors for inland urban sites. The ratio of MODIS to observation over agricultural areas ranged from 61% to 89%; 59%-88% of MODIS fell within the retrieval errors. At homogeneous and well vegetated areas, the comprehensive utilization ratio of MODIS products was over 80% and above 70% of MODIS products fell within the retrieval errors in growing season.
WANG LiLiXIN JinYuanWANG YueSiLI ZhanQingWANG PuCaiLIU GuangRenWEN TianXue