Analysis of elemental composition of atmospheric aerosols in Bratislava using the PIXE method with an external ion beam

IF 1.8 3区工程技术 Q3 CHEMISTRY, INORGANIC & NUCLEAR

Applied Radiation and Isotopes Pub Date : 2025-09-22 DOI:10.1016/j.apradiso.2025.112203

Karol Sučák, Miroslav Ješkovský, Boris Bobáľ, Jakub Kaizer, Ivan Kontuľ, Pavel P. Povinec, Jakub Zeman

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Air pollution, which usually occurs in the form of aerosols, decreases the quality of life around the world. Aerosols come in different sizes, but a fine aerosol fraction is the main cause of many health problems, especially if aerosols contain toxic metals. Altogether 26 aerosol samples, collected over a one-year period (April 2023–April 2024) at the Comenius University campus in Bratislava, were analysed for elemental concentrations using the PIXE (Particle Induced X-ray Emission) method with an external ion beam, developed at the Centre for Nuclear and Accelerator Technologies (CENTA). Ten elements (Si, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn) were identified in the samples. Due to the inhomogeneity in the distribution of aerosols on the sampling filters several spots were irradiated to determine average concentrations. Sulphur was the element with the highest concentrations in most filters (the range of 0.05–2 μg/m³), while the highest level of concentrations for calcium was observed during the Saharan dust event in Bratislava (2.1 μg/m³). Variations in elemental concentrations observed over a year were associated with meteorological conditions, with maximum levels for some elements (mainly K, Ca, Mn, and Fe) occurring during autumn and winter, likely due to soil resuspension.

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用外离子束PIXE法分析布拉迪斯拉发大气气溶胶的元素组成

空气污染通常以气溶胶的形式出现，降低了世界各地的生活质量。气溶胶有不同的大小，但微小的气溶胶部分是许多健康问题的主要原因，特别是如果气溶胶含有有毒金属。在布拉迪斯拉发的夸美纽斯大学校园收集了为期一年（2023年4月至2024年4月）的26个气溶胶样本，使用核与加速器技术中心（CENTA）开发的带有外部离子束的PIXE（粒子诱导x射线发射）方法分析了元素浓度。样品中鉴定出10种元素（Si、S、Cl、K、Ca、Ti、Mn、Fe、Cu和Zn）。由于采样过滤器上气溶胶分布的不均匀性，对几个点进行了照射以确定平均浓度。在大多数过滤器中，硫是浓度最高的元素（范围为0.05-2 μg/m3），而在布拉迪斯拉发的撒哈拉沙尘事件中，钙的浓度最高（2.1 μg/m3）。一年内观测到的元素浓度变化与气象条件有关，一些元素（主要是K、Ca、Mn和Fe）的最高水平出现在秋冬，可能是由于土壤再悬浮。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Applied Radiation and Isotopes 工程技术-核科学技术

CiteScore

3.00

自引率

12.50%

发文量

406

审稿时长

13.5 months

期刊介绍： Applied Radiation and Isotopes provides a high quality medium for the publication of substantial, original and scientific and technological papers on the development and peaceful application of nuclear, radiation and radionuclide techniques in chemistry, physics, biochemistry, biology, medicine, security, engineering and in the earth, planetary and environmental sciences, all including dosimetry. Nuclear techniques are defined in the broadest sense and both experimental and theoretical papers are welcome. They include the development and use of α- and β-particles, X-rays and γ-rays, neutrons and other nuclear particles and radiations from all sources, including radionuclides, synchrotron sources, cyclotrons and reactors and from the natural environment. The journal aims to publish papers with significance to an international audience, containing substantial novelty and scientific impact. The Editors reserve the rights to reject, with or without external review, papers that do not meet these criteria. Papers dealing with radiation processing, i.e., where radiation is used to bring about a biological, chemical or physical change in a material, should be directed to our sister journal Radiation Physics and Chemistry.