Comprehensive analysis of PM10 in the metropolitan area of São Paulo – Part I: Chemical characterisation and source apportionment
Abstract
In this study, 126 PM10 samples were collected in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (MASP), Brazil, with 24-h sampling performed every three days from July 2022 to July 2023, as part of the BIOMASP + project. The reconstructed PM10 concentrations ranged from 4.8 to 61.3 μg m−3 (annual mean of 17.2 ± 12.2 μg m−3), with levels during the dry season about twice as high as in the rainy season. Organic matter (OM) was the dominant component (49% of PM10 mass), of which 17% was chemically resolved, with humic-like substances (HuLiS) accounting for 59% of the identified organic fraction. The inorganic fraction consisted mainly of SO42− (16%), NO3− (8%), and elemental carbon (7%). Oxalate, malonic acid, methanesulfonic acid (MSA), and malic acid accounted for 81% of the quantified organic acid mass. Enrichment factors identified clear anthropogenic signatures for As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Rb, Sb, Se, Ti, and Zn. Despite lower levoglucosan concentrations (99.2 ± 153.2 ng m−3) than those reported in previous MASP studies, dry-season levels were approximately five times higher than those in the rainy season, confirming the influence of biomass burning on PM10 composition. Conversely, elevated arabitol and mannitol concentrations during the wet season reflected the contribution of biogenic sources. An 11-factor PMF solution identified contributions from mineral dust (20.4%), sulfate-rich (14.8%), biomass burning (12.0%), road dust (11.7%), primary biogenic (9.7%), aged sea salt (9.2%), traffic (7.0%), nitrate-rich (6.0%), industrial (3.3%), secondary biogenic oxidation (3.3%), and sea salt (2.7%). These findings provide a comprehensive knowledge on PM10 chemical composition to improve the identification of emission sources in a region where air quality standards are frequently exceeded, emphasizing the importance of targeted mitigation strategies and sustained monitoring efforts.
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BibTeX
@article{florencio2026comprehensive,
title = {{Comprehensive analysis of PM10 in the metropolitan area of São Paulo – Part I: Chemical characterisation and source apportionment}},
author = {Jacques Florêncio and Pamela Dominutti and Vy Ngoc Thuy Dinh and Adalgiza Fornaro and Agnès Borbon and Gaëlle Uzu and Sophie Darfeuil and Véronique Jacob and Pauline Bros and Rhabira Elazzouzi and Céline Voiron and Ávila B Santos and Jean-Luc Jaffrezo and Maria Lucia Arruda Moura Campos},
journal = {Atmospheric Environment},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1016/j.atmosenv.2026.122286},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05737747v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Comprehensive analysis of PM10 in the metropolitan area of São Paulo – Part I: Chemical characterisation and source apportionment
AU - Jacques Florêncio
AU - Pamela Dominutti
AU - Vy Ngoc Thuy Dinh
AU - Adalgiza Fornaro
AU - Agnès Borbon
AU - Gaëlle Uzu
AU - Sophie Darfeuil
AU - Véronique Jacob
AU - Pauline Bros
AU - Rhabira Elazzouzi
AU - Céline Voiron
AU - Ávila B Santos
AU - Jean-Luc Jaffrezo
AU - Maria Lucia Arruda Moura Campos
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/03
JO - Atmospheric Environment
DO - 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2026.122286
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05737747v1
AB - In this study, 126 PM10 samples were collected in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (MASP), Brazil, with 24-h sampling performed every three days from July 2022 to July 2023, as part of the BIOMASP + project. The reconstructed PM10 concentrations ranged from 4.8 to 61.3 μg m−3 (annual mean of 17.2 ± 12.2 μg m−3), with levels during the dry season about twice as high as in the rainy season. Organic matter (OM) was the dominant component (49% of PM10 mass), of which 17% was chemically resolved, with humic-like substances (HuLiS) accounting for 59% of the identified organic fraction. The inorganic fraction consisted mainly of SO42− (16%), NO3− (8%), and elemental carbon (7%). Oxalate, malonic acid, methanesulfonic acid (MSA), and malic acid accounted for 81% of the quantified organic acid mass. Enrichment factors identified clear anthropogenic signatures for As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Rb, Sb, Se, Ti, and Zn. Despite lower levoglucosan concentrations (99.2 ± 153.2 ng m−3) than those reported in previous MASP studies, dry-season levels were approximately five times higher than those in the rainy season, confirming the influence of biomass burning on PM10 composition. Conversely, elevated arabitol and mannitol concentrations during the wet season reflected the contribution of biogenic sources. An 11-factor PMF solution identified contributions from mineral dust (20.4%), sulfate-rich (14.8%), biomass burning (12.0%), road dust (11.7%), primary biogenic (9.7%), aged sea salt (9.2%), traffic (7.0%), nitrate-rich (6.0%), industrial (3.3%), secondary biogenic oxidation (3.3%), and sea salt (2.7%). These findings provide a comprehensive knowledge on PM10 chemical composition to improve the identification of emission sources in a region where air quality standards are frequently exceeded, emphasizing the importance of targeted mitigation strategies and sustained monitoring efforts.
SN - 1352-2310
SN - 1873-2844
ER -