Concentrations, sizes distributions, and seasonal variations of ambient air pollutants (particulates, trace metals) in Daya/Xitun District, Taichung, Central Taiwan: a case study at Taichung Science Park

Abstract

Taichung Science Park in central Taiwan releases ambient air pollutants to the atmosphere. This issue has attracted much attention over the past few years. This study concerns seasonal concentrations of atmospheric particles and metallic elements and particle size distributions. A M.O.U.D.I sampler is used at a Taichung Science Park sampling site to obtain relevant data. Fe, followed by Al, had the highest average metallic element concentrations in particles of various sizes (PM₁₈, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, PM₁ and PM_<1(0.3)); Cd had the lowest. The average concentrations of metallic elements in particles of various sizes were lowest in the summer. Fe, Al and Cr had the three highest concentrations among all metallic elements for all particles sizes in all seasons. Ambient air particulate pollutants (crustal and anthropogenic metallic elements) were released from a single emission source at Taichung Science Park site.

Keywords:

• Pollutant concentrations
• micro-orifice uniform deposit impactor
• EF
• Science Park

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the National Science Council of the ROC (Taiwan) for financially supporting this work under project no. MOST 109-2221-E-241 -004 -