An analytical electron microscope study of airborne industrial particles in Sosnowiec, Poland

The types and the relative amounts of airborne particles in the city of Sosnowiec (Poland) during 21–22 June, 1994 were identified by analytical electron microscope analyses. They are mostly aspherical angular Al-bearing silica particles (0.1–5.15 μm) and clusters thereof. Carbonaceous particles form sheets of soluble volatile-rich materials (0.3–33.9 μm) and rare soot. Numerous nanometer-sized Al-bearing silica grains and salt minerals are associated with the larger particles. They resulted from inefficient combustion of low-grade coals by the local industries whereby the silica particles are coal impurities that survived combustion. The total particle emission was constant during a 24 h period but silica shards dominated the nighttime emission while carbonaceous particles abounded during the daytime. This study showed that tropospheric particles in regions dominated by inefficient coal combustion are fundamentally different from typical coal fly ash spheres.