Chemical composition of PM1 and PM10 fraction collected in urban atmosphere of Krakow, southern Poland during 2018-2019 period

<p>Two fractions of suspended particulate matter (PM₁ and PM₁₀) were collected on daily basis in the urban atmosphere of Krakow, southern Poland, during one-year period (April 2018 - April 2019). The following compounds were examined: elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), carbohydrates (among them levoglucosan &#8211; a recognized biomass tracer),&#160; as well as ions (Li⁺, Na⁺, NH₄⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, F^-, Cl^-, NO₂^-, Br^-. NO₃^2-, PO₄^3-, SO₄^2-). Thermal-optical analysis with a Sunset carbon analyzer, (Sunset Lab. Inc.) was used to obtain information about organic and elemental carbon concentration, while HPAE-PAD Dionex ICS 3000 system was employed to determine the concentration of 14 carbohydrates. Concentration of ions was analysed using isocratic ion chromatography on an ICS-1100 instrument (Thermo Scientific).</p><p>Distinct seasonality of chemical composition of PM₁ and PM₁₀ fraction was observed. Levoglucosan concentration ranged from 0.01 ug/m³ to 0.90 ug/m³ (PM₁ fraction) and from 0.01 to ug/m³to 1.95 ug/m³ (PM₁₀ fraction) during the analysed period. Arabitol and Mannitol were detected only in PM₁₀ fraction and ranged from 0.01 ug/m³ and 0.02 ug/m³, during winter season and to 0.15 ug/m³ and 0.10 ug/m³, respectively, during summer season. Significant seasonal differences were also found for ion concentrations: from 0.49 &#956;g/m³ (SO₄^2-), 0.15 &#956;g/m³(NO₃^-) and 0.05 &#956;g/m³(NH₄⁺) during summer season, to be compared with 11.16 &#956;g/m³ (SO₄^2-), 9.30 &#956;g/m³ (NO₃^-), 9.25 &#956;g/m³ (NH₄⁺) for winter season. The concentration of organic and elemental carbon in PM₁₀ fraction ranged from 2.0 &#956;g/m³ to 48.9 &#956;g/m³ (OC) and from 0.3 &#956;g/m³to 10.0 &#956;g/m³ (EC), to be compared&#160; with 1.4 &#956;g/m³ to 18.1 &#956;g/m³ (OC) and 0.2 &#956;g/m³to 4.4 &#956;g/m³ (EC) for PM₁ fraction.</p><p>&#160;</p><p>ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS</p><p>The presented work was funded by Polish National Science Centre (project No.&#160; 2019/33/N/ST10/02925) as well as COST Action COLOSSAL (CA16109) of EU. Work of AS and PF have been partly supported by the EU Project POWR.03.02.00-00-I004/16. Analytical infrastructure of AGH Center of Energy in Krakow was employed in analyses of selected ions.</p>