Single-particle Characterization of Aerosol Samples Collected at an Underground Shopping Area

A single particle analytical technique, named low-Z particle electron probe X-ray microanalysis, was applied to characterize four samples collected at an underground shopping area connected to Dongdeamun subway station, in January and May 2006. Based on the analysis of their chemical compositions of the samples, many distinctive particle types are identified and the major chemical species are observed to be soil-derived particles, iron-containing particles. sulfates. nitrates, and carbonaceous particles. which are encountered both in coarse and fine fractions. Carbonaceous particles exist in carbon-rich and organic. Soil derived particles such as aluminosilicates, AlSi/C, are more frequently encountered in spring samples than winter samples. Nitrate- and sulfate-con taming particles are more frequently encountered in winter samples, and those nitrate- and sulfate-containing particles mostly exist in the chemical forms of . Fe-containing particles which came from nearby subway platform are in the range of about 10% relative abundances for all the samples. It is observed that nitrate- and sulfate-containing particles and carbonaceous particles are much more frequently encountered in indoor aerosol samples than in outdoor aerosols, implying that , and VOCs at the underground shopping area were more partitioned into aerosol phase.