1 research outputs found
On the Origin of AMS “Cooking Organic Aerosol” at a Rural Site
A number
of field observations employing aerosol mass spectrometers
(AMS) have demonstrated that organic matter rich in monocarboxylic
acids and aliphatic carbonyls originating from cooking activities
(the COA factor) contributes significantly to ambient organic matter
(OM) in urban environments. Little is known about the contribution
and nature of COA in rural localities. We studied the correlation
of COA with chemical tracers at a rural site in the Po Valley, Italy.
Our statistical approach, based on positive matrix factorization (PMF)
shows that the COA factor was clearly linked to local emissions of
chloride and methanesulfonic acid (MSA), chemical tracers not associated
with cooking emissions, or with combustion sources. While the association
with Cl is not understood at this stage, the emission of reduced sulfur
compounds, aliphatic carbonyls and monocarboxylic acids is consistent
with several agricultural practices (e.g., manure storage) and waste
disposal systems (e.g., landfills) which characterize the suburban
and rural areas of the Po Valley and of other many populated environments.
It is concluded that the nature and origins of the AMS COA factor
measured at a rural site are complex and include far more than the
emissions from food cooking