Seasonal variation and source identification of PAHs in Inhalable Particulate matter (PM10) of Nanchang city

Five sampling areas which represent traffic center, industrial area, commercial area, residential area and the suburb were set in NanChang city to collect Inhalable Particulate (PM₁₀) samples in summer and winter of 2007. The data at various sampling areas illustrated that the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentration of PM₁₀ in summer were lower than that in winter. In different areas the pollution severity order of PM₁₀ was traffic center (worse than), industrial area, commercial area, residential area, and the suburb. The primary monomers of PAHs were 4-ring and 5-ring aromatics, 6-ring came next, 3-ring was least and 2-ring was hardly detected. Based on the data, the main sources of PAHs on PM₁₀ in Nanchang city were estimated by factor analysis method. The percentage of contributions of various pollution source to PAHs on PM₁₀ in Nanchang city were calculated by multiple linear stepwise analysis method. The results of factor analysis/multiple linear stepwise analysis conform to the energy structure of Nanchang city.