Source apportionment of PM10 and PM2.5 in five Chilean cities using factoranalysis

Chile is a fast-growing country with important industrial activities near u rban areas. In this study, the mass and elemental concentrations of PM10 an d PM2.5 were measured in five major Chilean urban areas. Samples of particl es with diameter less than 10 pm (PM10) and 2.5 mum (PM2.5) were collected in 1998 in Iquique (northern Chile), Valparaiso, Vina del Mar, Rancagua (ce ntral Chile), and Temuco (southern Chile). Both PM10 and PM2.5 annual mean concentrations (PM10: 56.9-77.6 mug/m(3); PM2.5: 22.4-42.6 mug/m(3)) were s ignificantly higher than the corresponding European Union (EU) and U.S. Env ironmental Protection Agency (EPA) air quality standards. Moreover the 24-h r PM10 and PM2.5 U.S, standards were exceeded infrequently for some of the cities (Rancagua and Valparaiso). Elements ranging from Mg to Ph were detec ted in the aerosol samples using X-ray fluorescence (XRF). For each of the five cities, factor analysis (FA) was applied to identify and quantify the sources of PM10 and PM2.5. The agreement between calculated and measured ma ss and elemental concentrations was excellent in most of the cities. Both n atural and anthropogenic sources were resolved for all five cities. Soil an d sea were the most important contributors to coarse particles (PM10-PM2.5) , whereas their contributions to PM2.5 were negligible. Emissions from Cu s melters and oil refineries (and/or diesel combustion) were identified as im portant sources of PM2.5, particularly in the industrial cities of Rancagua , Valparaiso, and Vina del Mar. Finally, motor vehicles and wood burning we re significant sources of both PM2.5 and PM10 in most of the cities (wood b urning was not identified in Iquique).