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Contributions of fossil and non-fossil fractions to total carbon in urban aerosols in Bratislava (Slovakia).

Ivan KontulAlexander CherkinskyMiroslav JeškovskýJakub KaizerPavel P PovinecKarol SučákJakub Zeman
Published in: Journal of environmental radioactivity (2024)
Radiocarbon measurements of total carbon (TC) fraction of aerosol samples collected at the campus of the Comenius University in Bratislava (Slovakia) during 2022-2023 were carried out. Based on radiocarbon activity of these samples and a source apportionment model we have determined the relative proportion of fossil and non-fossil carbon in collected atmospheric aerosols. The carbon from non-fossil sources (biomass burning and biogenic emissions) was dominant in this time period, on average it formed 72% of carbon present in the aerosols from the atmosphere of Bratislava. The whole range of determined non-fossil fraction was relatively small as it varied only from 0.67 (August-September) to 0.82 (December-January). These changes do not exhibit any significant seasonal variation as was previously observed in Bratislava during 2017-2018 in the elemental carbon (EC) aerosol fraction.
Keyphrases
  • water soluble
  • particulate matter
  • heavy metals
  • risk assessment
  • air pollution
  • health risk assessment
  • sewage sludge