Variations in vanadium, nickel and lanthanoid element concentrations in urban air

The emission of trace metal pollutants by industry and transport takes place on a scale large enough to alter atmospheric chemistry and results in measurable differences between the urban background of inhalable particulate matter (PM) in different towns. This is particularly well demonstrated by the technogenic release into the atmosphere of V, Ni, and lanthanoid elements. We compare PM concentrations of these metals in large datasets from five industrial towns in Spain variously influenced by emissions from refinery, power station, shipping, stainless steel, ceramic tiles and brick-making. Increased La/Ce values in urban background inhalable PM, due to La-contamination from refineries and their residual products (fuel oils and petcoke), contrast with Ce-rich emissions from the ceramic related industry, and clearly demonstrate the value of this ratio as a sensitive and reliable tracer for many point source emissions. Similarly, anomalously high V/Ni values (>4) can detect the influence of nearby high-V petcoke and fuel oil combustion, although the use of this ratio in urban background PM is limited by overlapping values in natural and anthropogenic materials. Geochemical characterisation of urban background PM is a valuable compliment to the physical monitoring of aerosols widely employed in urban areas, especially given the relevance of trace metal inhalation to urban health issues. © 2010 Elsevier B.V.This study was supported by research projects from the D.G. de Calidad y Evaluación Ambiental from the Spanish Ministry of the Environment and the Plan Nacional de I+D from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science ( CGL2005-03428-C04-03/CLI , CGL2007-62505/CLI and GRACCIECSD2007-00067 , and research contracts supported by the Autonomous governments of Valencia and Andalucía . The authors also thank the Departments of Environment of the Autonomous Governments of Andalucía, Valencia, CIAI and Castilla La Mancha.Peer reviewe