Trace metals in atmospheric participates characterized of aerosol emitted by industrial and urban sources

The results of a year's study in the Savona area of Italy were analyzed to characterize the sources of dust deposition and airborne trace metals. The objective was to identify major pollutant sources through the measurement of selected metals, specifically Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, and Ni, and their enrichment factors. Methodologically, dust samples were taken from three monitoring stations to assess the qualitative contributions of different emission sources. The findings revealed four significant emission sources contributing to airborne trace metals: traffic, industrial plants, large coal-fired power stations, as well as residential heating and soil particle resuspension. This preliminary study lays the groundwork for a more extensive investigation planned for eleven sampling stations and intends to establish correlations between particle size distribution and metal concentrations. Additionally, the results specifically aim to validate a mathematical model for dust dispersion by providing a clearer understanding of the relationships between various sources and elemental distributions. The study emphasizes that trace metals, particularly those arising from high-temperature processes, tend to be associated with smaller particulate sizes, while other elements exhibit varied size distributions.