Study of particulate matter (PM10) in air in Taiyuan, Shanxi,China : 60 study points

Abstract

Abstract

The work in this master thesis consists of two parts: The first part is related to analyses of organic and elemental carbon in particulate matter (PM ) in samples collected on glass fiber filters in Taiyuan city, Shanxi province, China and the second part related to analyses of inorganic components in particulate matter (PM ) in samples collected on Teflon filters in the same site.

Glass fiber filters were predried and preweighed in Norway and sent to the Technical University in Taiyuan for sampling. Sampling was conducted in March 2004 and the samples were brought to Oslo in April 2004. Eight Samples were collected.

The samples were analysed using instrumentation available at the Department of Chemistry by a titrimetric method and at the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) by thermal method.

Elemental analyses were conducted in the Department of Chemistry by using ICP-AES and ICP-MS methods.

The obtained data was analysed and discussed in the context of the air pollution situation in Taiyuan and other Chinese cities, particularly in relation to air pollution reduction measures. The results should make it easier to identify sources of particles.

The results gave very high concentration of carbonaceous species. This indicates very high consumption of coal in Taiyuan. The measured concentrations were different in the two methods. This may be due to the difference in operational definitions of the fractions. The measured accuracy of modified Walkley-Black method was +18%, -35% and +2% for OC, EC and TC, respectively, the precision was ±3%, ±13% and ±8%.

The results of elemental analysis show strong relationship between some elements and coal combustion processes. The measured accuracy of ICP-AES and ICP-MS was < 10.7 and < 28.1 respectively.