Ricerc@Sapienza

A very-low volume sampler of particulate matter (PM) on membrane filters, recently developed with the purpose of allowing spatially-resolved determination of PM and of its chemical components, was employed from December 2016 to February 2018 in a wide and dense monitoring network across Terni, an urban and industrial hot-spot of Central Italy (23 sampling sites, about 1 km between each other). Terni basin can be considered as an open air laboratory for studying the spatial distribution of PM, as it includes several spatially disaggregated sources.

Particulate matter (PM) air pollution represents a major environmental and health issue which largely depends on the type and amount of local emissions in industrial and urban areas. Therefore, the evaluation of the spatial distribution of PM chemical components is fundamental for a reliable identification of emission sources and the assessment of personal exposure.