Analysis of Particulate Matter Concentration Variability and Origin in Selected Urban Areas in Poland

The work presents the results of research and analyses related to measurements of concentration and chemical composition of three size fractions of particulate matter (PM), PM10, PM2.5 and PM1.0. The studies were conducted in the years 2014–2016 during both the heating and non-heating season in two Polish cities: Wroclaw and Poznan. The studies indicate that in Wroclaw and Poznan, the highest annual concentrations of particulate matter (PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10) were observed in 2016, and the mean concentrations were respectively equal to 18.16 μg/m3, 30.88 μg/m3 and 41.08 μg/m3 (Wroclaw) and 8.5 μg/m3, 30.8 μg/m3 and 32.9 μg/m3 (Poznan). Conducted analyses of the chemical composition of the particulate matter also indicated higher concentrations of organic and elemental carbon (OC and EC), and water-soluble ions in a measurement series which took place in the heating season were studied. Analyses with the use of principal component analysis (PCA) indicated a dominating percentage of fuel combustion processes as sources of particulate matter emission in the areas considered in this research. Acquired results from these analyses may indicate the influence of secondary aerosols on air quality. In the summer season, a significant role could be also played by an influx of pollutants—mineral dust—originating from outside the analyzed areas or from the resuspension of mineral and soil dust.