Spatial and temporal variations in the trace elemental data over the northeastern United States

Abstract

Time series of trace elemental concentrations (14 species) of atmospheric fine particles measured in the northeastern United States between 1988 and 1998 are analyzed for spatial and temporal variations. The influence of synoptic-scale systems to the transport and accumulation of pollutants can be investigated successfully if the short-term fluctuations (i.e. weather-induced variations) embedded in the time series of pollutant concentrations are separated from the original time series. The spatial short-term correlation coefficients for Al, Br, Fe, Se, and Zn permit good predictions of pollutant concentrations up to distances of about 350 km from a given monitor. The species correlation matrices for individual sites reveal that As, Br, Se, and Zn are highly correlated in New York State, while Fe, Mn, and V show also strong correlations, suggesting the commonality of source regions for these industrial and urban pollutants impacting New York.