Characterization of Atmospheric Aerosol Particles from a Mining City in Southwest China Using Electron Probe microanalysis

Abstract:

Xin Cheng¹, Yi Huang^1*, Huilin Lu², Zaidong Liu², Ningming Wang²

¹ Key Laboratory of Geological Nuclear Technology of Sichuan Province, College of Earth Science, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China. ; E-mail:chengxin_cdut@163.com

² College of Earth Science, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China. ; *Corresponding author: E-mail: huangyi@cdut.cn

Panzhihua is a mining city located at Pan-Xi Rift valley, southwest China. It has a long industrial history of vanadium-titanium magnetite mining, iron and steel smelting, and coal-fired power plants. Atomospheric environment has been seriously contaminated with airborne paticles, which is threatening human health.The harmful effects of aerosols are dependent on certain characteristics such as microphysical properties. However, few studsies have been carried out on morphological information contained on single atmospheric particles in this area.

In this study, we provide a detailed morphologically and chemically characterization of airborne particles collected at Panzhihua city in October, 2014, using a quantitative single particle analysis based on EPXMA.

The results indicate that based on their chemical composition, five major types of particles were identified. Among these, aluminosilicate particles have typical spherical shapes and are produced during the high-temperature combustion; Fe-containing particles contains high level of Mn, and more likely originated from mineralogical and steel industry; Si-containing particles can originate from mineralogical source; V-Ti-Mn-containing particles are also produced by steel industry; Ca-containing particles,these particles are CaCO_3, mainly from the mining of limestone mine. The results help us on tracing and partitioning different sources of atomospheric particles in the industrial area.

Fig.1 Fe-rich shperical particles