Source apportionment methods applied to the determination of the origin of ambient aerosols that affect visibility in forested areas

An aerosol characterization, visibility, and receptor modeling study was conducted in the Shenandoah Valley, VA between 14 July and 15 August 1980. The objectives of this study were to: (1) determine the origin of the ambient particles, (2) determine the major chemical species contributing to the light extinction coefficient, (3) evaluate analytical methods to characterize aerosols and (4) provide data for comparison with chemical composition of aerosols collected in the Great Smoky Mountains and in the Abastumani Mountains of Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. The average sulfate concentrations measured in fine particles (<2.5μm) at these three locations were: 12.0μgm⁻³ at Great Smoky Mountains; 13.6 μg m⁻³ at Shenandoah Valley, and 4.6 μg m⁻³ at Abastumani Mountains; the fractions of sulfate in the fine particle mass concentrations at each site were 0.50,0.50 and 0.38, respectively. For the two studies in the United States, the fine particle sulfate during sulfate maxima was mostly in the form of ammonium acid sulfate. Factor analysis of the fine aerosol composition measured in the Shenandoah Valley yielded a persistent factor containing large loadings on mass, SO²⁻₄, S, NH⁺₄, H⁺, Se and total nitrate (sum of particulate nitrate and nitric acid), which is characteristic of coal-fired sources. This factor analysis grouping along with additional emissions information suggests that coal-fired power plants are the principal source of sulfate and nitrate.