Chemical characterization of fine particles (PM2.5) at a coastal site in the South Western Mediterranean during the ChArMex experiment

As part of the ChArMEx project (Chemistry-Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment, http://charmex.lsce.ipsl.fr), one year of continuous filter sampling was conducted from August 2012 to August 2013 at a rural (coastal) site in Algeria aiming to better document fine aerosol seasonal variability and chemical composition in the Southern part of the Mediterranean. Over 350 filters have been collected, weighted, and analyzed for the main ions and organic and elemental carbon. The obtained mass concentrations varied between 2.5 and 50.6 μg/m3 for PM2.5. The annual modulations of PM2.5 showed higher concentrations in the end summer 2012 and the early summer 2013 (28.50 μg/m3 in August 2012, 20.23 μg/m3 in September 2012, 20.19 μg/m3 in July 2013, and 17.88 μg/m3in August 2013). The particulate organic matter (POM) presented the greatest contribution (50%), followed by the secondary inorganic aerosols (SIA, 27%). The average organic carbon OC concentrations ranged from 1.66 to 6.05 μgC/m3. The average elemental carbon EC concentrations ranged from 0.92 to 3.49 μgC/m3 and contributed 7% of the PM2.5 mass to Bou-Ismail. The average value of the OC /EC ratio was close to 5.1 in Bou-Ismail, and was close to that found in Finokalia 4 (Greece 2004, 2006) but was lower than that of Montseny 11 (Spain 2002–2007) Western Mediterranean Basin (WMB). The concentrations of water-soluble organic carbon WSOC in the PM2.5 ranging from 0.66 to 3.70 μg/m3 recorded the minimum level in March 2013, and the maximum level in August 2012, with an average of 2.02 μg/m3.