Particulate matter in air of the cities of Athens and Patras (Greece): Particle-size distributions and elemental concentrations

Samples of atmospheric particulate material were collected at the cities of Athens (between February and December 1992) and Patras (between October and December 1991) in Greece. The filter samples were analyzed by a laser technique for the determination of particle-size distributions and by atomic absorption spectrophotometry for the elemental analysis of Pb, Zn, Cu, Mn, and Cr. For the evaluation of the aerosols contribution to the atmospheric pollution, plots correlating the concentrations of heavy metals with the number average diameters of the suspended particulate matter in air were performed. The Pb concentration in the Patras air samples decreases in the size range up to 10.0 mu m and then no definite trend appears. The Pb, Zn, Cu, and Mn concentrations in the Athens air samples increase with increasing particle diameter up to 4.0 mu m and then decrease. Cr content of Athens' particles decreases with increasing particle diameter in the whole size range. Finally, the possible sources of heavy metals and the main factors affecting the aerosol's particle-size distributions are discussed. (C) 1998 American Association for Aerosol Research.