Abstract. Long-term monitoring at sites with relatively low
particulate pollution could provide an opportunity to identify changes in
pollutant concentration and potential effects of current air quality
policies. In this study, 9-year sampling of PM10 (particles with an aerodynamic diameter below 10 µm) was performed in a rural background site in France (Observatoire Pérenne de l'Environnement or OPE) from 28 February 2012 to 22 December 2020. The positive matrix factorization
(PMF) method was used to apportion sources of PM10 based on quantified
chemical constituents and specific chemical tracers analysed on collected
filters. Oxidative potential (OP), an emerging health metric that measures
PM capability to potentially cause anti-oxidant imbalance in the lung, was
also measured using two acellular assays: dithiothreitol (DTT) and ascorbic
acid (AA). The sources of OP were also estimated using multiple linear
regression (MLR) analysis. In terms of mass contribution, the dominant
sources are secondary aerosols (nitrate- and sulfate-rich) associated with
long-range transport (LRT). However, in terms of OP contributions, the main
drivers are traffic, mineral dust, and biomass burning factors. There is
also some OP contribution apportioned to the sulfate- and nitrate-rich
sources influenced by processes and ageing during LRT that could have
encouraged mixing with other anthropogenic sources. The study indicates much lower OP values than in urban areas. A substantial decrease (58 %
reduction from the year 2012 to 2020) in the mass contributions from the traffic factor was found, even though this is not clearly reflected in its OP contribution. Nevertheless, the findings in this long-term study at the OPE site could indicate effectiveness of implemented emission control policies, as also seen in other long-term studies conducted in Europe, mainly for urban areas.
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