Source analysis of urban atmospheric aerosols in Kurdistan province, Iran, by analyses of 14C, d13C, and inorganic elements.

<p>Elucidation of the sources of carbon components (organic carbon, elemental carbon, carbonate carbon, etc.) in atmospheric aerosols is important to control air pollution and to a better understanding of global climate change. Air pollution in Iran, especially in urban areas, is increasing, but there has been little analysis of the carbon components in aerosols. The atmospheric aerosol in semi-arid Iran contains not only carbon particles but also a large amount of dusty aerosols such as soil particles, and it is important to understand not only the carbon component but also the inorganic elemental components in order to analyze the source of aerosols in this region. The purpose of this study was to determine the source of urban atmospheric aerosols in the region by analyzing ¹⁴C, δ¹³C, and inorganic element concentrations in urban atmospheric aerosols in the Kurdistan Province of Iran, near the border with Iraq. The results showed that the contribution of FC was larger in the winter season than in other periods, while the contribution of non-FC was larger from March onward. In addition, an increase in soil particles from Iraq and other western regions was observed during the spring season.</p>