Author(s)

Wioletta Rogula-Kozłowska, Izabela Sówka, Barbara Mathews, Krzysztof Klejnowski, Anna Zwoździak, Kornelia Kwiecińska

Ecologistics Division, Institute of Environmental Protection Engineering, Wroclaw University of Technology, Wroclaw, Poland.
Institute of Environmental Engineering, Polish Academy of Sciences, Zabrze, Poland.

The ambient concentrations of PM-related anions (Cl-, NO₃^-, SO₄^2-) and cations (Na⁺, NH₄⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺), total and contained in the PM fractions, were investigated in a typical urban area within the Silesian Agglomeration. A DEKATI low pressure impactor (DLPI) was used to sample PM and separate it into 13 fractions. The PM concentrations were determined gravimetrically, the ion content of the PM water extracts—by means of ion chromatography (Herisau Metrohm AG ion chromatograph). In general, sulfate, nitrate, and ammonia had the greatest ambient concentrations. PM₁ contained over 60% of the PM-related sulfate and nitrate mass and 90% of the ammonia mass. Also the majority of Na⁺ and Cl- were bound onto fine particles. Instead, more of the PM-related K⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ mass were in PM_2.5-10 than in PM_2.5. In the fine particles (sub-fractions of PM_1.6) sulfate, nitrate and ammonia occur mainly as (NH₄)₂SO₄ and NH₄NO₃. In the sub-fractions of PM_1.6-10 sulfate and nitrate might also occur as K₂SO₄, CaSO₄, Ca(NO₃)₂ or NaNO₃.

Ambient Aerosol; DEKATI; Mass Size Distribution; SIA; Ammonium Sulfate; Ammonium Nitrate; Neutralization Ratio; Upper Silesia

Rogula-Kozłowska, W. , Sówka, I. , Mathews, B. , Klejnowski, K. , Zwoździak, A. and Kwiecińska, K. (2013) Size-Resolved Water-Soluble Ionic Composition of Ambient Particles in an Urban Area in Southern Poland. Journal of Environmental Protection, 4, 371-379. doi: 10.4236/jep.2013.44044.