Particle size distribution and anion content at a traffic site in Sha-Lu, Taiwan

Ambient air particle concentrations were sampled by two total suspended particle (TSP) samplers, PM10/PM2.5 specific sampler and micro-orifice uniform deposit impactor (MOUDI) during July-October 2000 at a traffic sampling site in central Taiwan. The average TSP concentration (194 mug/m(3)) was about a factor of two higher than that of the fraction <2.5 mum (93.2 mug/m(3)). The mean level of the fraction < 10 mum collected by MOUDI (93.2 mug/m(3)) was about 11/2 times higher than that of the size class <2.5 mum (43.8 mug/m(3)). Furthermore, this fraction showed a certain correlation with the TSP concentration. The particle size distribution was bimodal in the ambient air at the traffic site. The major peaks appear at particle diameters between 0.56-1.0 and 3.2-5.6 mum. The percentages of anions contained in TSP were 0.23% F-, 13.7% Cl-, 0.52% Br-, 12.0% NO3-, 18.9% NO2-, and 54.6% SO42-. The Cl-, NO2-, and NO3- size distributions were all unimodal and the major peaks appeared at 3.2-5.6 mum. The SO42- size distribution was bimodal, with major peaks at 0.32-0.56 and 3.2-5.6. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.