SOURCE CHARACTERIZATION OF THE CENTRAL-EUROPEAN ATMOSPHERIC AEROSOL USING MULTIVARIATE STATISTICAL-METHODS

From late March 1993 to late April 1994, a total of 313 daily samples of the fine fraction ambient aerosol were collected at the meteorologi cal station at Bily Kriz in the Beskydy Mts. located in the NE corner of the Czech Republic. Altogether 29 elements were detected in the PIX E analysis out of which 18 were used for receptor modelling (Si, S, Cl , K, Ca, Ti, V, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Se, Br, Sr, Pb). Six main source types could be extracted with the aid of an absolute principal component analysis (APCA) receptor model; a combined ferrous/non-ferro us smelter-wood-traffic source type, soil dust, oil combustion, coal c ombustion, secondary sulphate and sea spray. The source apportionment provided by APCA was able to reproduce the measured mean concentration s for all elements except Si and Sr within +/-8% or better. The source region identification was based on three-dimensional air mass back tr ajectories. The sampled fine fraction aerosol was clearly affected by the heavily industrialised region around the cities of Ostrava and Kat owice close to the border between the Czech Republic and Poland. The i nfluence of other large European source regions such as southern Ukrai ne, northern Italy, the SE Balkan peninsula, the Benelux countries and the ''Black triangle'' in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic coul d also be studied.