Comparison between sample-species specific uncertainties and estimated uncertainties for the source apportionment of the speciation trends network data

In order to use the US Environmental Protection Agency's speciation trends networks (STN) data in source apportionment studies with positive matrix factorization (PMF), uncertainties for each of the measured data points are required. Since STN data were not accompanied by sample-species specific uncertainties (SSU) prior to July 2003, a comprehensive set of fractional uncertainties was estimated by Kim et al. [2005. Estimation of organic carbon blank values and error structures of the speciation trends network data for source apportionments. Journal of Air and Waste Management Association 55, 1190–1199]. The objective of this study is to compare the use of the estimated fractional uncertainties (EFU) for the source apportionment of PM2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter) measured at the STN monitoring sites with the results obtained using SSU. Thus, the source apportionment of STN PM2.5 data were performed and their contributions were estimated through the application of PMF for two selected STN sites, Elizabeth, NJ and Baltimore, MD with both SSU and EFU for the elements measured by X-ray fluorescence. The PMF resolved factor profiles and contributions using EFU were similar to those using SSU at both monitoring sites. The comparisons of normalized concentrations indicated that the STN SSU were not well estimated. This study supports the use of EFU for the STN samples to provide useful error structure for the source apportionment studies of the STN data.