Evaluation of airborne particles at the Alhambra monument in Granada, Spain
2011
Horemans, Benjamin | Cardell, Carolina | Bencs, László | Kontozova-Deutsch, Velichka | De Wael, Karolien | Van Grieken, René
As a part of an ongoing investigation regarding the air quality at the Alhambra monument (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage), indoor and outdoor atmospheric aerosols (PM₁ and PM₁₀₋₁) and pollutant gases (O₃, NO₂, SO₂ and NH₃) were studied during summer and winter. Bulk elements, ionic compounds and black carbon (BC) in aerosols were analyzed with X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, ion chromatography and aethalometry/reflectometry, respectively. Natural PM₁₀₋₁ aerosols, such as carbonate-rich soil and sea salts, reacted with a typical urban atmosphere, producing a mixture of particulates with diverse chemical composition. The content/formation of secondary inorganic aerosols depended on the air temperature and absolute humidity. Ratios of typical mineral elements (i.e., Ti/Fe and Si/Fe) showed that Saharan dust events contribute to the composition of the observed mineral aerosol content. BC, V and Ni originated from diesel exhaust, while Cu, Cr, Pb and Zn came mainly from non-exhaust vehicular emissions. Weathering phenomena, such as blackening and pigment discoloration, which could arise from gradual aerosol deposition indoors, are discussed.
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