Comprehensive source apportionment of volatile organic compounds using observational data, two receptor models, and an emission inventory in Tokyo metropolitan area

[1] Source contributions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were comprehensively evaluated using an observational data set, two receptor models, and an emission inventory. Hourly concentrations of C2–C8 nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) were measured at Saitama, which is near the northern edge of Tokyo, throughout 2007. Estimates of background NMHC concentrations at the Saitama site corresponded well with median NMHC concentrations at a remote island in Japan in winter and spring. Source contributions of ΔNMHCs (differences between ambient and background concentrations) calculated by the chemical mass balance (CMB) model and positive matrix factorization (PMF) corresponded with each other within a factor of 2. The two receptor models estimated that vehicle exhaust, gasoline vapor, liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and other evaporative sources contributed 14%–25%, 9%–16%, 7%–10%, and 49%–71%, respectively, to total VOC concentrations on a mass basis. These values agreed with the emission inventory except for the LPG values. In addition, the CMB and PMF results explained at least two thirds of the observed total ΔNMHC values. These results suggest that the current emission inventory roughly captures the individual contributions and total amount of VOC emissions. However, characterization of background NMHCs is necessary to fully understand the VOC budget.