Abstract for presentation at 14th IUAPPA World Congress

Development of strategies for controlling atmospheric particulate matter in developing countries is complicated by the fact that elucidating the sources of atmospheric particulate matter is very difficult. Although the contributions of sulfate, nitrate and wind blown dust to atmospheric particulate matter are relatively easy to measure using traditional atmospheric particulate matter analysis methods, quantification of the contributions of biomass burning, mobile source emissions and other fossil fuel combustion cannot be readily obtained using traditional analysis methods. Over the past decade, gas-chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) methods have been developed to analyze molecular markers, particle-phase organic compounds, in atmospheric particulate matter that provide a forensic approach to quantifying the impacts of combustion sources. The use of molecular markers for source apportionment of atmospheric particulate matter is becoming widely used in developed countries to help develop control strategies for atmospheric particulate matter control. However, there is a tremendous need to develop the capacity for these measurements in developing countries to help regulators accurate define the source of the atmospheric particulate matter in heavily polluted cities. To address this need, daily PM₁₀ samples were collected in Lahore, Pakistan for a month in the spring of 2006. The samples were analyzed for organic carbon, elemental carbon, water-soluble ions and over 100 molecular markers. The molecular markers included levoglucosan, a tracer for biomass burning, fossil fuel biomarkers, and tracers for secondary organic aerosols. The use of these measurements to understand the relative contributions of biomass burning and fossil fuel combustions sources will be presented.