Source apportionment of PM10 and PM2.5 in a desert region in northern Chile

Estimating contributions of anthropogenic sources to ambient particulate matter (PM) in desert regions is a challenging issue because wind erosion contributions are ubiquitous, significant and difficult to quantify by using source-oriented, dispersion models. A receptor modeling analysis has been applied to ambient PM10 and PM2.5 measured in an industrial zone ~ 20 km SE of Antofagasta (23.63°S, 70.39°W), a midsize coastal city in northern Chile; the monitoring site is within a desert region that extends from northern Chile to southern Perú. Integrated 24-hour ambient samples of PM10 and PM2.5 were taken with Harvard Impactors; samples were analyzed by X Ray Fluorescence, ionic chromatography (NO3− and SO4=), atomic absorption (Na+, K+) and thermal optical transmission for elemental and organic carbon determination. Receptor modeling was carried out using Positive Matrix Factorization (US EPA Version 3.0); sources were identified by looking at specific tracers, tracer ratios, local winds and wind trajectories computed from NOAA's HYSPLIT model.For the PM2.5 fraction, six contributions were found — cement plant, 33.7 ± 1.3%; soil dust, 22.4 ± 1.6%; sulfates, 17.8 ± 1.7%; mineral stockpiles and brine plant, 12.4 ± 1.2%; Antofagasta, 8.5 ± 1.3% and copper smelter, 5.3 ± 0.8%. For the PM10 fraction five sources were identified — cement plant, 38.2 ± 1.5%; soil dust, 31.2 ± 2.3%; mineral stockpiles and brine plant, 12.7 ± 1.7%; copper smelter, 11.5 ± 1.6% and marine aerosol, 6.5 ± 2.4%. Therefore local sources contribute to ambient PM concentrations more than distant sources (Antofagasta, marine aerosol) do. Soil dust is enriched with deposition of marine aerosol and calcium, sulfates and heavy metals from surrounding industrial activities. The mean contribution of suspended soil dust to PM10 is 50 μg/m3 and the peak daily value is 104 μg/m3. For the PM2.5 fraction, suspended soil dust contributes with an average of 9.3 μg/m3 and a peak daily value of 31.5 μg/m3.

► Ambient PM10 and PM2.5 were measured in an industrial zone within an arid region in South America.
► Dry climate allows accumulation of heavy metals deposited on the ground.
► Soil dust becomes enriched with tracers of anthropogenic activities.
► Average suspended soil dust reaches 9 μg/m3 for PM2.5 and 50 μg/m3 for PM10.
► Peak daily soil dust reaches 31.5 μg/m3 for PM2.5 and 104 μg/m3 for PM10.