A field campaign was conducted in Greece during the summer of 2012 (June 8 –
July 26) to investigate ambient particulate matter (PM) levels, chemical composition and
contribution of regional and local sources. Simultaneous collection of PM1, PM2.5 and
PM10 samples took place in seven different sampling sites in Greece. The sampling sites
included: i) one urban and one suburban station in Patras, ii) one suburban in
Thessaloniki, iii) one suburban and one background station in Athens, iv) one rural
background station at the Navarino Environmental Observatory (NEO) in southwest
Peloponnese and v) one remote background site at Finokalia in the northeast part of
Crete. These different sites were chosen in order to estimate the contributions of the local
emissions sources and long range transport. A suite of continuous/online instruments was
deployed in selected sites including an Aerodyne High Resolution Time of Flight Aerosol
Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF AMS), an Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM),
a Proton-Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometer (PTR-MS), a PM2.5/PM10 Tapered
Element Oscillating Microbalance (TEOM), filter samplers (PM1, PM2.5 and PM10),
nephelometers, aethalometers and gas-phase monitors.
The campaign PM2.5 average ranged from 14 to 20 μg m-3 for the different sites.
The fine PM mass concentration and chemical measurements were quite similar in all
sites suggesting significant contributions of transported regional pollution and smaller
contributions of local sources. Sulfate and organics were major PM2.5 components in all
sites. Also nitrate, dust and sea-salt for the coastal areas were also important components
of the PM10 fraction. The sulfate levels were similar in all sites, while the concentration
of the organics and dust were more variable. Most of the organic aerosol was highly
oxygenated. Back trajectory analysis, based on FLEXPART, identified five source
regions (Greece, Athens, Turkey, Balkans, marine) each of which influenced the PM1
aerosol composition.
(EL)
University of Patras
