Physicochemical Characteristics of Single Asian Dust Storm Particles

For the detailed characterization of atmospheric aerosol, the analysis of single particle is highly valuable. In this study, to investigate the characteristics of single Asian dust storm particles, scanning electron microscope(SEM) coupled with and energy dispersive X-ray microanalyzer(EDX) and micro-PIXE were applied. Sampling was performed at Kyoto University located in Kyoto, Japan, in spring of 1999. Mass concentration during Asian dust storm events was higher roughly 3∼5 times than measured in the season of the highest concentration. Single particles were generally sharp-edged and irregular in shape and contained mostly crustal elements. Significant amount of S in coarse fraction was detected in individual particles. A large particles in coarse fraction existed as the mixture of soil components and S. A good agreement between the result of SEM-EDX analysis and that iof micro-PIXE analysis was obtained in this study.