Abstract for presentation at 14th IUAPPA World Congress

Quantification of Fine Particle Composition, Sources and Transboundary Transport in Hanoi, Vietnam from 2001-06

  • David Cohen, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Australia
  • Ed Stelcer, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Australia
  • Dr Vuong Bac, Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology, Vietnam

    • Accelerator based ion beam analysis (IBA) techniques at ANSTO have been applied to characterise PM2.5 fine particulate matter collected on 25 mm diameter stretched Teflon filters at Hanoi, Vietnam, twice weekly since May 2001. Over 25 different elemental and chemical species have been measured at this urban site with PM2.5 annual fine masses in excess of 50 µg/m3. The quantification of so many different chemical species allowed for good mass closure and the hence the successful application of positive matrix factorisation (PMF) techniques to estimate the fine particle source contributions. PMF techniques uniquely identified ten different factors representing 5 different source types, including contributions from soil (9%), secondary sulfur (21%), automobiles (38%), smoke (12%) and industry (20%). Percentages shown in brackets are 5 year source averages. The application of standard HYSPLIT back trajectory methods showed that significant fractions of the soil and secondary sulfur components, in particular, were transported hundreds and even thousands of kilometres from central China and the Gobi desert regions into Hanoi at certain times of each year.

    Conference Organiser - ICMS Pty Ltd