Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States.
Environ Sci Technol. 2012 Sep 4;46(17):9473-80. doi: 10.1021/es302275k. Epub 2012 Aug 17.
Particulate matter emissions near active copper smelters and mine tailings in the southwestern United States pose a potential threat to nearby environments owing to toxic species that can be inhaled and deposited in various regions of the body depending on the composition and size of the particles, which are linked by particle hygroscopic properties. This study reports the first simultaneous measurements of size-resolved chemical and hygroscopic properties of particles next to an active copper smelter and mine tailings by the towns of Hayden and Winkelman in southern Arizona. Size-resolved particulate matter samples were examined with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, ion chromatography, and a humidified tandem differential mobility analyzer. Aerosol particles collected at the measurement site are enriched in metals and metalloids (e.g., arsenic, lead, and cadmium) and water-uptake measurements of aqueous extracts of collected samples indicate that the particle diameter range of particles most enriched with these species (0.18-0.55 μm) overlaps with the most hygroscopic mode at a relative humidity of 90% (0.10-0.32 μm). These measurements have implications for public health, microphysical effects of aerosols, and regional impacts owing to the transport and deposition of contaminated aerosol particles.
美国西南部活跃的铜冶炼厂和矿山尾矿附近的颗粒物排放，由于其毒性物质可以被吸入，并根据颗粒的组成和大小沉积在身体的各个部位，而与颗粒的吸湿性特性有关，对附近环境构成了潜在威胁。本研究报告了在美国亚利桑那州南部的海登和温克尔曼镇附近，对活跃的铜冶炼厂和矿山尾矿旁的颗粒物进行的首次同时测量，其大小分辨的化学和吸湿性特性。使用电感耦合等离子体质谱法、离子色谱法和加湿串联差分迁移率分析仪对粒径分辨的颗粒物样品进行了检查。在测量地点收集的气溶胶颗粒富含金属和类金属（例如砷、铅和镉），并且对收集样品的水溶液提取物的水吸收测量表明，与这些物质最富集的颗粒直径范围（0.18-0.55μm）重叠的相对湿度为 90%时的最吸湿模式（0.10-0.32μm）。由于受污染的气溶胶颗粒的传输和沉积，这些测量结果对公共卫生、气溶胶的微物理效应和区域影响具有重要意义。
