A new sampler for evaluating the spatial variability of PM components: validation and field application

A new very-low volume sampler has been developed with the purpose of allowing spatially-resolved determination of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) and of its chemical components. The low-cost, automatic and self-powered device assures long-term (1-2 months) collection of PM on membrane filters, suitable for subsequent chemical analyses. The device has been validated during a 1-year study focused on the concentration of PM10 mass, ions, levoglucosane, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and elements. It showed very good performance in terms of repeatability of the samplings, which is the essential characteristic to build a reliable network. The samplers have been employed, for the first time, to evaluate the spatial variability of PM10 mass concentration and its main chemical components in the area of Terni, a urban/industrial hot-spot sited in an intramountain depression of Central Italy. The meteorological conditions of Terni basin, which limit the dispersion and enhance the accumulation of atmospheric pollutants, are ideal to test and validate the new experimental method for the acquisition of spatially-resolved data.