Chemical composition and source apportionment of ambient PM2.5 in a coastal urban area, Northern Poland

Coastal urban areas impact atmospheric chemistry and air quality through various sources, interactions, and processes. This study examines the mass concentrations of fine mode (PM2.5) aerosol and its major and trace components (Al, As, Ba, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mo, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sr, Te, Ti, Tl, V, Zn). The comprehensive field measurements were conducted in Poland between September 2019 and May 2020. Seasonal distribution and drivers of these pollutants showed considerable variability. In winter, higher concentrations were observed for Pb, Co, and As due to the higher contribution of pyrogenic emission. The Principal Component Analysis provided evidence of anthropogenic sources of trace species associated with coal combustion by industry/power plants, brake wear-related emissions, vehicle emissions, shipping activities, road-resuspended dust, and urban construction activities. These results showed that major chemical elements (Ca, Na, Fe, Mg, Al, and K) contributed to 4.07–34.0% of all components. Se, Zn, and Br contributed 1.29%, 1.25%, and 1.04%, respectively, while other tracers ranged between 0.07% and 0.95%. The diagnostic ratio of V/Ni remained stable between 0.45 and 0.46 during the cold season, then increased in spring, indicating that ship emissions were an important source of these metals during the warm season.