Multi-year urban and rural semi-continuous PM2.5 sulfate and nitrate measurements in New York state: Evaluation and comparison with filter based measurements

Measurements of PM2.5 sulfate and nitrate were carried out over a period of 3 years with a 10-min time resolution, using Rupprecht and Patashnick Co., Inc., (R&P) Ambient Particulate Sulfate and Nitrate Monitors, models 8400S and 8400N, respectively. The instruments were deployed at an urban site in the South Bronx, NY, and at Whiteface Mountain, a rural field monitoring location in upstate New York. At both sites collocated 24-h integrated filter measurements are compared to the semi-continuous sulfate and nitrate data. The sites are also equipped with a suite of gas phase (NOx, SO2, and O3) and other particulate-based instrumentation. The semi-continuous data is used to examine the diurnal, seasonal and yearly variability of PM2.5 sulfate and nitrate at both locations.