RDI-SR-XRF

Duration: 2007-2011

Contact: Markus Furger, markus.furger@psi.ch
Field deployment of a Rotating Drum Impactor (RDI, green cabinet on top of the instrument trailer) in Zürich Kaserne.
Field deployment of a Rotating Drum Impactor (RDI, green cabinet on top of the instrument trailer) in Zürich Kaserne.
Particulate matter (PM) has become an issue of much debate with respect to its effects on human health and on the environment. For efficient air pollution abatement strategies a reliable source apportionment of particulate matter (PM) is necessary, requiring a detailed knowledge of the elemental composition of PM. The RDI-SR-XRF (Rotating drum impactor - synchrotron radiation induced X-ray fluorescence) technique partially developed at PSI is a method to sample and quantitatively analyze ambient aerosol samples for trace elements in a non-destructive way. The combination of RDI-SR-XRF with the existing measurement techniques deployed in several field campaigns allowed a more comprehensive analysis of the particles and their origin. The obtained data were analyzed with positive matrix factorization (PMF) for source apportionment. Such studies are scientifically challenging and ultimately crucial for the authorities who need to know how to specifically reduce particle concentrations during air pollution episodes.
  • APART, Zürich, Switzerland, 2006-2009
  • EUCAARI, Zürich, Switzerland, 2008-2009
  • EMEP/EUCAARI, Payerne, Switzerland, 2009
  • DAURE Campaign, Barcelona, Spain, 2008
  • FAME'08 Campaign, Finokalia, Crete, Greece, 2008
Bar charts showing the average composition of total measured PM10 in the period of simultaneous RDI, AMS and BC ( PM1 ) measurements. Left: all identifed components of the total PM10 mass concentration, leaving an unexplained fraction of about 25%. Right: elemental composition, extrapolated to the oxides, for RDI and AMS measurements.
Bar charts showing the average composition of total measured PM10 in the period of simultaneous RDI, AMS and BC ( PM1 ) measurements. Left: all identifed components of the total PM10 mass concentration, leaving an unexplained fraction of about 25%. Right: elemental composition, extrapolated to the oxides, for RDI and AMS measurements.
  • In Zürich, eight different sources were identified for the three examined size ranges: secondary sulfate, wood combustion, fire works, road traffic, mineral dust, de-icing salt, industrial and local anthropogenic activities. The major component detected was secondary sulfate for the smallest size range; the road traffic factor was found in all three size ranges (10-2.5 um, 2.5-1.0 um, 1.0-0.1 um).
  • In Payerne, the analyses of RDI data yielded a total of six sources for the three size ranges: secondary sulfate, biomass combustion, road traffic, mineral dust, a chloride source and local rural activities, whereas the Aerosol Mass Spectrometry only yielded two factors (POA - primary organic aerosol, and SOA - secondary organic aerosol).
  • Time and size resolved trace element data combined with high time resolution AMS data increase the capabilities of source apportionment studies and enable an explanation of about 70% of the measured total aerosol mass concentration.

Journal Articles

Time-Resolved Characterization of Primary Emissions from Residential Wood Combustion Appliances.
Heringa, M. F., P. F. DeCarlo, R. Chirico, A. Lauber, A. Doberer, J. Good, T. Nussbaumer, A. Keller, H. Burtscher, A. Richard, B. Miljevic, A. S. H. Prevot, and U. Baltensperger, 2012
Environmental Science & Technology, 46, 11418-11425.
Article

Source apportionment of size and time resolved trace elements and organic aerosols from an urban courtyard site in Switzerland.
Richard, A., M. F. D. Gianini, C. Mohr, M. Furger, N. Bukowiecki, M. C. Minguillón, P. Lienemann, U. Flechsig, K. Appel, P. F. DeCarlo, M. F. Heringa, R. Chirico, U. Baltensperger, and A. S. H. Prévôt, 2011
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 11, 8945-8963.
Article

Size and time-resolved roadside enrichment of atmospheric particulate pollutants.
Amato, F., M. Viana, A. Richard, M. Furger, A. S. H. Prévôt, S. Nava, F. Lucarelli, N. Bukowiecki, A. Alastuey, C. Reche, T. Moreno, M. Pandolfi, J. Pey, and X. Querol, 2011
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 11, 2917-2931.
DOI: Article

PM10 emission factors for non-exhaust particles generated by road traffic in an urban street canyon and along a freeway in Switzerland.
Bukowiecki, N., P. Lienemann, M. Hill, M. Furger, A. Richard, F. Amato, A. S. H. Prévôt, U. Baltensperger, B. Buchmann, and R. Gehrig, 2010
Atmos. Environ., 44, 2330-2340.
Article

Variations in time and space of trace metal aerosol concentrations in urban areas and their surroundings.
Moreno, T., X. Querol, A. Alastuey, C. Reche, M. Cusack, F. Amato, M. Pandolfi, J. Pey, A. Richard, A. S. H. Prévôt, M. Furger, and W. Gibbons, 2011
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 11, 9415-9430.
Article

Quantitative sampling and analysis of trace elements in atmospheric aerosols: impactor characterization and Synchrotron-XRF mass calibration.
Richard, A., N. Bukowiecki, P. Lienemann, M. Furger, M. Fierz, M. C. Minguillón, B. Weideli, R. Figi, U. Flechsig, K. Appel, A. S. H. Prévôt, and U. Baltensperger, 2010
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 3, 1473-1485.
Article

Hourly size-segregated sampling of trace elements and subsequent source apportionment.
Richard, A., M. Furger, N. Bukowiecki, P. Lienemann, M. Nachtegaal, A. S. H. Prévôt, and U. Baltensperger, 2009
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 73, A1097.

Source apportionment of size and time resolved trace elements and organic aerosols from an urban courtyard site in Switzerland.
Richard, A., M. F. D. Gianini, C. Mohr, M. Furger, N. Bukowiecki, M. C. Minguillón, P. Lienemann, U. Flechsig, K. Appel, P. F. DeCarlo, M. F. Heringa, R. Chirico, U. Baltensperger, and A. S. H. Prévôt, 2011
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 11, 8945-8963.
Article

Thesis

Determination of trace elements in ambient aerosols with synchrotron induced X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and subsequent source apportionment.
Richard, Agnes Carol Joanna.
Diss. ETH / PSI / LAC (2011).
doi:10.3929/ethz-a-006550233

Conference Contributions

A European assessment of inhalable non-exhaust particles: Loads and chemical properties.
Amato, F., M. Pandolfi, J. Pey, M. Furger, X. Querol, A. Alastuey, N. Bukowiecki, R. Gehrig, A. Richard, A. S. H. Prevot, and U. Baltensperger, 2010
Air Pollution and Health, San Diego, CA, USA, 22-26 Mar 2010, AAAR.

Metal concentrations in ambient airborne particulate matter in Finokalia, Greece (FAME08).
Furger, M., A. Richard, C. Mohr, C. Theodosi, N. Bukowiecki, P. Lienemann, U. Flechsig, K. Appel, N. Mihalopoulos, A. S. H. Prevot, and U. Baltensperger, 2010
European Conference on X-ray Spectrometry 2010, Figueira da Foz, Portugal, 21-25 June 2010, EXSA.

Metallische und andere Spurenelemente in Aerosolen auf Kreta, Griechenland – Resultate der FAME08 Messkampagne.
Furger, M., A. Richard, C. Mohr, C. Theodosi, N. Bukowiecki, P. Lienemann, U. Flechsig, K. Appel, N. Mihalopoulos, A. S. H. Prevot, and U. Baltensperger, 2010
DACH Meteorologentagung 2010, Bonn, Germany, 19-24 September 2010, DMG.

Elemental analysis of ambient aerosol samples with synchrotron XRF.
Richard, A., M. Furger, N. Bukowiecki, P. Lienemann, D. Grolimund, A. S. H. Prévôt, and U. Baltensperger, 2008.
European Conference on X-Ray Spectrometry, Cavtat, Dubrovnik, Croatia, June 16-20.

Hourly-size segregated sampling of trace elements and subsequent source apportionment.
Richard, A., M. Furger, N. Bukowiecki, P. Lienemann, M. Nachtegaal, A. S. H. Prevot, and U. Baltensperger, 2009.
JUMP09 Users Workshop @ SLS, Villigen, Switzerland, October 12-13.

Hourly-size segregated sampling of trace elements and subsequent source apportionment.
Richard, A., M. Furger, N. Bukowiecki, P. Lienemann, M. Nachtegaal, A. S. H. Prevot, and U. Baltensperger, 2009.
JUMP09 Users Workshop @ SLS, Villigen, Switzerland, October 12-13.

Source apportionment studies for trace elements based on hourly size-segregated data.
Richard, A., M. Furger, N. Bukowiecki, P. Lienemann, M. Nachtegaal, A. S. H. Prevot, and U. Baltensperger, 2009.
European Aerosol Conference, Karlsruhe, Germany, September 6-11, 2009.

Elemental analysis of ambient aerosol samples with synchrotron XRF.
Richard, A., M. Furger, N. Bukowiecki, P. Lienemann, M. Nachtegaal, A. S. H. Prévôt, and U. Baltensperger, 2008.
Workshop on X-ray absorption spectroscopy and advanced XAS techniques, Villigen, Switzerland, 7-8 October 2008.

Hourly size-segregated sampling of trace elements and subsequent source apportionment.
Richard, A., M. Furger, N. Bukowiecki, P. Lienemann, M. Nachtegaal, A. S. H. Prévôt, and U. Baltensperger, 2009.
Goldschmidt Conference, Davos, Switzerland, June, A1097.

Measurements of trace elements with Rotating Drum Impactors and subsequent X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy.
Richard, A., M. Furger, N. Bukowiecki, P. Lienemann, A. S. H. Prevot, and U. Baltensperger, 2008.
EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, April 13-18.

Trace elements in wood combustion performed with different domestic heating stoves.
Richard, A., M. Heringa, M. Sattler, N. K. Meyer, M. Furger, A. Prévôt, and C. Gaegauf, 2008.
12th ETH-Conference on Combustion Generated Nanoparticles, Zürich, Switzerland, June 23-25.

Source apportionment studies at different European sites with time and size resolved trace element data - the example of Zürich, Switzerland.
Richard, A., M. Furger, N. Bukowiecki, P. Lienemann, U. Flechsig, K. Appel, M. C. Minguillón, A. Prévôt, and U. Baltensperger, 2010
EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, 3-7 May 2010.

Other Publications

PM10-Emissionsfaktoren von Abriebspartikeln des Strassenverkehrs (APART) - PM10 emission factors of abrasion particles from road traffic.
Bukowiecki, N., R. Gehrig, P. Lienemann, M. Hill, R. Figi, B. Buchmann, M. Furger, A. Richard, C. Mohr, S. Weimer, A. Prévôt, and U. Baltensperger, 2009
Bundesamt für Strassen, Bern, 194.
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