Wide-range particle characterization and elemental concentration in Beijing aerosol during the 2013 Spring Festival

• Wide-range particle number distribution was monitored during Spring Festival.
• Distribution of Ba, K, Mg, Pb, Sr, Ti and Zn in particulate matter was analyzed.
• Both the number and mass concentration increased sharply in a wide range.
• The concentrations of K, Mg, Sr, Ba and Pb were over 6 times higher.

The number and mass concentration, size distribution, and the concentration of 16 elements were studied in aerosol samples during the Spring Festival celebrations in 2013 in Beijing, China. Both the number and mass concentration increased sharply in a wide range from 10 nm to 10 μm during the firecrackers and fireworks activities. The prominent increase of the number concentration was in 50 nm–500 nm with a peak of 1.7 × 105/cm3 at 150 nm, which is 8 times higher than that after 1.5 h. The highest mass concentration was in 320–560 nm, which is 4 times higher than the control. K, Mg, Sr, Ba and Pb increased sharply during the firework activities in PM10. Although the aerosol emission from firework activities is a short-term air quality degradation event, there may be a substantial hazard arising from the chemical composition of the emitted particles.

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