Atmospheric aerosol over Finnish Arctic: source analysis by the multilinear engine and the potential source contribution function

Week-long samples of total suspended particles were collected between 1964 and 1978 from Kevo at the Finnish Arctic and analyzed for a number of chemical species. The chemical composition data was analyzed using a mixed 2-way/3-way model. The results of receptor modeling were connected with the back trajectory data in a Potential Source Contribution Function analysis to determine the likely source areas. Nine sources, namely silver emissions, coal/oil shale combustion, biomass burning, non-ferrous smelters (two sources), crustal elements from remote sources, excess silicon from local sources, sea salt particles and biogenic sulfur emissions from marine algae were found. Although the emissions from industrial areas in the Kola Peninsula had an effect on the concentration of anthropogenic pollutants at Kevo, the highest concentrations during winter were transported from the sources in the mid-latitudes. The yearly strength of the biogenic sulfur emissions showed no dependence on the Northern Hemisphere temperature anomaly and thus, a climatic feedback loop could not be confirmed.