An ongoing air quality
monitoring program in the Czech
Republic has provided nearly continuous data for the
concentrations of aerosol and gas-phase pollutants since
its inception in February 1992. In addition to PM-2.5
concentrations, the concentrations of sulfate, organic
carbon,
elemental carbon, trace elements (Al−Pb), and
polynuclear
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were also measured. Fine
particulate matter (PM-2.5) was composed mainly of
organic carbon and sulfate with smaller amounts of trace
metals. Coarse particle mass concentrations were
typi
cally between 10 and 30% of PM-2.5 concentrations.
The
chemical composition of emissions from power plants,
residential space heating, local factories, and motor
vehicles
was also characterized. The ambient monitoring and
source characterization data were then used in receptor
modeling calculations, the results of which indicate that
residential space heating and power plant emissions ac
counted for most of fine particle mass concentrations
observed during winter air pollution episodes. Motor
vehicles,
incinerators, and windblown dust contributed to the
balance
of the fine particle mass. Peak 24-h average TSP and
SO2
concentrations (1100 and 800 μg/m3, respectively)
obtained
at the main monitoring site at Teplice in northern Bohemia
during a severe air pollution episode in 1993 were within
a factor of 2 of smoke and SO2 concentrations (1800
and
1600 μg/m3) measured in London during the smog
episode
of December 5−9, 1952. That pollution episode was
thought to have contributed to a substantial increase in
mortality.
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