Chemical Composition of Airborne Particulate Matter in Belgium as Determined by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis
✍ Scribed by M. Demuynck; R. Dams
- Publisher
- Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
- Year
- 2010
- Weight
- 597 KB
- Volume
- 90
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0037-9646
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✦ Synopsis
Abstract
During one year atmospheric aerosols have been collected daily at 14 stations in Belgium. Total suspended particulate levels, determined from all samples, indicated a high particulate pollution level for the major part of the country. Instrumental neutron activation analysis of 280 samples yielded significant concentration data for 29 elements and 10 additional components were determined in a limited number of samples only. Comparison to background levels and to concentrations in other polluted areas showed strong enrichments and an overwhelming anthropogenic contribution for most elements. On the basis of the time‐variability and the geometric distributions of the concentrations some intense sources could be localized and the elements could be divided in 5 groups with different sources, namely sea spray, coal combustion and steel production, liquid fuel combustion, siderurgical plants and non‐ferrous plants.