Description of the carbonaceous particulate matter: Evolution in an urban area

The ground concentrations of particulate matter, total carbon, elemental carbon and organic carbon were measured in a monitoring station located inner a park in downtown Rome. The description of the evolution of the boundary layer is given by radon concentration measurements. The results show that the particulate matter of Rome contains about 30% of carbonaceous matter. The elemental and organic carbon behaviours show that elemental carbon is essentially a primary pollutant emitted directly from vehicular traffic and organic carbon behaviour instead can be primary (combustion and biogenic emission) and secondary. A chemical fine particulate matter mass balance is given; an organic carbon investigation has been carried out in order to determine n-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.