STUDY OF REGIONAL AND LONG-RANGE TRANSPORT IN AN ALPINE STATION BY PIXE ANALYSIS OF AEROSOL-PARTICLES

A field campaign on particulate matter concentration and composition w as carried out at the Stelvio National Park in the Italian Alps. The P IXE technique, thanks to its high sensitivity at low particulate level , allowed the determination of several element concentrations for a la rge set of 24 h samples. A statistical analysis of elemental concentra tion time series points out the main sources of particulate matter: so il dust, secondary sulphates, vehicular emission, oil combustion, and industrial emissions. Time variation of S concentration in relation wi th some meteorological parameters evidenced a nonlocal contribution du e to regional transport. Some episodic long-range transport events of Saharan dust across the Mediterranean sea, confirmed by air mass traje ctory reconstruction, were evidenced in spring.