Influence of meteorological parameters on short range transport of aerosols

The main goal of the present study was to evaluate the influence of meteorological conditions on short range transport of traffic-related aerosols. Samples were collected at five different distances from one of the main transit arteries in Krakow during the day (high traffic intensity) and night (low traffic intensity). The concentrations of 27 elements were determined using PIXE. The results showed that rainfall and wind direction and velocity are the most important factors influencing the elemental concentrations. If these parameters are not taken into account comparison of the data obtained at different locations during various meteorological conditions can lead to biased conclusions. Therefore, a simple standardisation of the results with respect to wind direction and velocity was applied which resulted in the determination of the range of transport of coarse traffic-related particles.