Receptor modeling for elemental source contributions to fine aerosols in New York State

Fine atmospheric particulate material was collected at five sites in upstat e New York and analyzed for its trace element composition by instrumental n eutron activation analysis. Of the 3700 daily samples collected over a 2-yr period, 1459 were analyzed for 39 elements, providing a large and detailed data set. Factor analysis (FA) was used to identify potential pollution so urces or source regions and to construct inorganic source profiles for each . Following FA, the method of absolute factor scores-multiple linear regres sion was used to estimate the absolute elemental contribution of each of th e identified sources. Factor analysis identified nine sources impacting the sampling region. Seven of these were found to be present in varying degree s among of the sampling sites. The other two sources had more localized imp acts and were observed at only one of the sites each. Regional sources (suc h as the midwestern United States and eastern Canada) and crustal/soil mate rial accounted for the greatest amount of the trace elements measured in th e collected material.