Prev. Article Next Article Table of Contents

Article

Characterization of Aerosols Containing Zn, Pb, and Cl from an Industrial Region of Mexico City

Supporting Info

Ryan C. Moffet^†^§, Yury Desyaterik^‡, Rebecca J. Hopkins^§, Alexei V. Tivanski^§, Mary K. Gilles^§, Y. Wang^†, V. Shutthanandan^‡, Luisa T. Molina , Rodrigo Gonzalez Abraham, Kirsten S. Johnson, Violeta Mugica^#, Mario J. Molina^†, Alexander Laskin*^‡ and Kimberly A. Prather*^†

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, California 92093-0314, W.R. Wiley Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720-8226, Molina Center for Energy and the Environment (MCE), La Jolla, CA, Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139-4307, and Applied Chemistry, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Azcapotzalco, Av. San Pablo 180, México D.F. 02200

Environ. Sci. Technol., 2008, 42 (19), pp 7091–7097

DOI: 10.1021/es7030483

Publication Date (Web): August 29, 2008

†

University of California.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

‡

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Molina Center for Energy and the Environment.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Universidad Autnoma Metropolitana-Azcapotzalco.

* Address correspondence to either author. Phone: 858-822-5312

(K.A.P.); 509-371-6129

(A.L.). E-mail: kprather@ucsd.edu

(K.A.P.); Alexander.Laskin@pnl.gov (A.L.).

Abstract

Recent ice core measurements show lead concentrations increasing since 1970, suggesting new nonautomobile-related sources of Pb are becoming important worldwide(1). Developing a full understanding of the major sources of Pb and other metals is critical to controlling these emissions. During the March, 2006 MILAGRO campaign, single particle measurements in Mexico City revealed the frequent appearance of particles internally mixed with Zn, Pb, Cl, and P. Pb concentrations were as high as 1.14 μg/m³ in PM₁₀ and 0.76 μg/m³ in PM_2.5. Real time measurements were used to select time periods of interest to perform offline analysis to obtain detailed aerosol speciation. Many Zn-rich particles had needle-like structures and were found to be composed of ZnO and/or Zn(NO₃)₂·6H₂O. The internally mixed Pb−Zn−Cl particles represented as much as 73% of the fine mode particles (by number) in the morning hours between 2−5 am. The Pb−Zn−Cl particles were primarily in the submicrometer size range and typically mixed with elemental carbon suggesting a combustion source. The unique single particle chemical associations measured in this study closely match signatures indicative of waste incineration. Our findings also show these industrial emissions play an important role in heterogeneous processing of NO_y species. Primary emissions of metal and sodium chloride particles emitted by the same source underwent heterogeneous transformations into nitrate particles as soon as photochemical production of nitric acid began each day at 7 am.