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Average ranges of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) concentrations and chemical composition in Spain show significant variations across the country, with current PM10 levels at several industrial and traffic hotspots exceeding recommended pollution limits. Such variations and exceedances are linked to patterns of anthropogenic and natural PM emissions, climate, and reactivity/stability of particulate species. PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations reach 14–22μgPM10 m−3 and 8–12μgPM2.5 m−3 at most rural/regional background sites, 25–30μgPM10 m−3 and 15–20μgPM2.5 m−3 at suburban sites, 30–46μgPM10 m−3 and 20–30μgPM2.5 m−3 at urban background and industrial sites, and 46–50μgPM10 m−3 and 30–35μgPM2.5 m−3 at heavy traffic hotpots. Spatial distributions show sulphate and carbon particle levels reach maxima in industrialised areas and large cities (where traffic emissions are higher), and nitrate levels increase from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean (independent of the regional NO x emissions). African dust outbreaks have an influence on the number of exceedances of the daily limit value, but its additional load on the mean annual PM10 levels is only highly significant in Southern Iberia and Canary and Balearic islands. The marine aerosol contribution is near one order of magnitude higher in the Canaries compared to the other regions. Important temporal influences include PM intrusion events from Africa (more abundant in February–March and spring–summer), regional-scale pollution episodes, and weekday versus weekend activity. Higher summer insolation enhances (NH4)2SO4 but depletes particulate NO3 − (as a consequence of the thermal instability of ammonium nitrate in summer) and Cl− (due to HCl volatilisation resulting from the interaction of gaseous HNO3 with the marine NaCl), as well as generally increasing dry dust resuspension under a semi-arid climate. Average trace metal concentrations rise with the highest levels at industrial and traffic hotspots sites, in some cases (Ti, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, As, Sn, W, and Pb) exceeding rural background levels by over an order of magnitude. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This work summarizes the results of a series of comprehensive studies on particulate matter (PM) carried out in Spain from 1999 to 2001. Monitoring sites were selected in accordance with different climatic and geographic conditions as well as anthropogenic influences, varying from rural background to urban curb-side sites. Measurements were carried out with gravimetric high-volume samplers and with automatic devices for different PM grain sizes, focusing on PM10 and PM2.5. A simultaneous meteorology study was performed to assess the influence of air masses and to detect long-range transport processes, especially African dust outbreaks, affecting the PM levels in the Iberian Peninsula and the Canary Islands. Mean values, chemical compositions and source apportionment analyses were obtained and discussed as a function of the different monitoring sites and during PM episodes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]