Characteristic of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations and source identification for fine and coarse particulates at Taichung Harbor near Taiwan Strait during 2004–2005

Fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM2.5–10) particulate concentrations of ambient air polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured simultaneously from February 2004 to January 2005 at the Taichung Harbor (TH) sampling site near Taiwan of central Taiwan. Particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were collected on quartz filters; the collected sample was Soxhlet extracted with a dichloromethane (DCM)/n-hexane mixture (50 / 50, v/v) for 24 h, and then the extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results indicated that vehicle emissions, coal combustion, incomplete combustion and pyrolysis of fuel and oil burning were the main source of PAHs near Taiwan Strait of central Taiwan. Diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis (PCA) were also used to characterize and identify PAHs emission sources in this study.