Urban and rural ultrafine (PM0.1) particles in the Helsinki area

In June 1996–June 1997 Berner low-pressure impactors were used at an urban and at a rural site in the Helsinki area for sampling ultrafine particles (UFP, PM_0.1). Ten sample pairs, each pair measured simultaneously, were collected in the size range of 0.03–15 μm of particle aerodynamic diameter. More than 40 chemical components were measured. Surprisingly, the average UFP mass concentration was higher at the rural site (520 ng/m³) than at the urban site (490 ng/m³). The average chemical composition of UFP was similar at the two sites. The most abundant of the measured components were sulphate (32 and 40 ng/m³ for the urban and rural sites, respectively), ammonium (22 and 25 ng/m³), nitrate (4 and 11 ng/m³) and the Ca²⁺ ion (5 and 7 ng/m³). The most important metals at both sites were Ca, Na, Fe, K and Zn with concentrations between 0.7 and 5 ng/m³. Of the heavy metals, Ni, V, Cu, and Pb were important with average ultrafine concentrations between about 0.1 and 0.2 ng/m³. Also the organic anions oxalate (urban 2.1 ng/m³ and rural 1.9 ng/m³) and methanesulphonate (1.3 and 1.7 ng/m³) contributed similarly at both sites. The measured species accounted for only about 15–20% of the total ultrafine mass. The fraction that was not measured includes mainly carbonaceous material and water. It was estimated that the amount of water was about 10% (50 ng/m³) and that of carbonaceous material about 70% (350 ng/m³) at both sites. Aitken modes were observed for most components with the average mass mean mode diameters being between about 0.06 and 0.12 μm. The average concentrations in the Aitken mode differed clearly from those in the UFP for several components.The average contribution of ultrafine mass to the fine particle mass (PM_2.5) was about 7% at the urban site and 8.5% at the rural site. At both sites the contribution of ultrafine to fine was especially high for Se, Ag, B, and Ni (10–20%) and at the rural site also for Co (20%), Ca²⁺ (16%) and Mo (11%). Enrichment in the ultrafine particles suggests that local sources may exist for these elements.Aitken modes turned out to be useful indicators of local sources for several components. The Aitken modes of Ba, Ca, Mg and Sr were similar in several samples, suggesting a common local combustion source for these elements, possibly traffic exhaust. Co, Fe, Mo and Ni formed another group of elements often having similar Aitken modes, the likely source being combustion of heavy fuel oil.