Analysis of equivalent black carbon multi-year data at an oil pre-treatment plant: Integration with satellite data to identify black carbon transboundary sources

摘要

This study analyzes a multi-year dataset of equivalent black carbon (EBC) concentration collected in 2012-2015 by a 7-wavelengths Aethalometer at Centro Olio Val d'Agri (COVA) in southern Italy, which is the largest European oil pre-treatment plant. These data, together with the local air circulation analysis, were used to identify the black carbon (BC) sources in Agri valley, specifically the COVA plant and vehicular traffic. During a limited period of 2012-2013, simultaneous measurements of PM10 concentration were available for comparison with the EBC data, which revealed correlation values of 0.31-0.43 between PM10 and EBC indicating a relevant contribution of BC to particulate matter at the site. On average, EBC/PM10 ratio is 7%, a value equal to that found at an urban-background site in Rome measured during non-rush hours.