Functional Factors of Biomass Burning Contribution to Spring Aerosol Composition in a Megacity: Combined FTIR-PCA Analyses

Abstract

Whether the spring season brings additional pollution to the urban environment remains questionable for a megacity. Aerosol sampling and characterization was performed in the urban background of the Moscow megacity in spring 2017, in a period of a significant impact of mass advection from surrounding fire regions. Parametrization of Angstrom absorption exponent (AAE) on low and high values provides periods dominated by fossil fuel (FF) combustion and affected by biomass burning (BB), respectively. The period identification is supported by air mass transportation from the south of Russia through the regions where a number of fires were observed. Functionalities in entire aerosol composition, assigned to classes of organic, ionic compounds, and dust, are inferred by diffusion refection infrared Fourier transmission (FTIR) spectroscopy. Functional markers of urban transport emissions relate to modern engine technology and driving cycles. Regional BB functionalities indicate the fire impacts to the spring aerosol composition. The development of the advanced source apportionment for a megacity is performed by means of combined ambient FTIR data and statistical PCA analysis. PCA of FTIR spectral data differentiate daily aerosol chemistry by low and high AAE values, related to FF- and BB-affected spectral features. PC loadings of 58%, 21%, and 11% of variability reveal the functional factors of transport, biomass burning, biogenic, dust, and secondary aerosol spring source impacts.