Temporal evolution and particle size distribution of aerosol constituents collected in Northern Tunisia (Boukornine) under Sirocco wind circulations

Aerosols samples were collected from Boukornine, Northern Tunisia in order to examine the temporal evolution of the principal constituents of the Tunisian aerosols under Sirocco wind circulations. High constituent concentrations registered during the period of Sirocco showed the contribution of the Sahara in terms of loading aerosols with particulate matters. The mass size distribution of the principal constituents of the aerosols under Sirocco wind circulations was obtained from measurements carried out with an inertial cascade impactor. These distributions of the aerosol showed a bimodal structure for the majority of the elements except sulfur and sodium. The mass size distribution has a significant fraction of their mass concentration in the fine particle size range. This may be explained by the effect of wind wakes and probably selective disintegration.