Characterization of total suspended particles around a power station in anurban coastal area in eastern Spain

The incidence of power station emissions in the composition of the atmosphe ric aerosols in an urban-industrial area is presented in this study. The Ib erdrola (Spanish electrical company) thermoelectric power station is locate d at Castellon's industrial estate along the Spanish Mediterranean coast. D ue to act that there are other polluting industries in region, the present study is also helpful to investigate potential tracers to discriminate the origin and source of particular pollution events. The analysis of air parti culate samples, collected on cellulose membrane filters, was carried out by means of the following instrumentation: (1) mineralogical Isis by X-ray di ffraction (XRD), (2) morphological study by scanning electron microscopy (S EM/EDX), and (3) chemical analysis by inductively coupled plasma atomic emi ssion spectrometry AES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (I CP-MS), to carry out quantitative chemical analyses of both major and trace elements. analysis has allowed the authors to find marker elements, V and Zn, for the power station emissions.