Wood combustion, a dominant source of winter aerosol in residential district in proximity to a large automobile factory in Central Europe

Industries in close proximity to residential districts are a historical phenomenon of urban development frequently causing air quality problem in European cities. Mladá Boleslav, the long-time centre of the automobile industry in the Czech Republic, is typical example of urban development. However, this air pollution source reconnaissance study found a source of currently increasing importance for the European cities, wood burning. Receptor modelling, time series of organic tracers for wood and coal burning, small-scale multiple-site PM10 monitoring and mobile PM10 measurement were combined to identify sources of fine (PM0.15-1.15) and coarse (PM1.15-10) particles in a residential district of Mladá Boleslav in winter 2013. The receptor model was applied to hourly concentrations of organic and elemental carbon in fine and 27 elements in fine and coarse aerosol particles at a receptor site. Multiple-site measurements with PM10 monitors showed no statistically significant differences among the monitors. Thus, the source apportionment derived from the central site data should apply to the entire residential district. Campaign average PM10 (33.9 μgm−3) consisted of 88% fine particles. Wood burning (49%), coal combustion (34%), traffic (16%), and industry (1%) were identified as the fine particle sources while combined wood burning and coal dust (80%), road dust with salt (14%), and abrasion of car brakes (6%) were identified the coarse particle sources. The large contributions of wood and coal combustion were surprising for this residential district that is a block of flats with district heating. High correlations were observed between the wood combustion contributions and the levoglucosan and mannosan concentrations. The homohopane index of 0.05 indicated lignite combustion. Peak concentrations in excess of 500 μgm−3 of PM10 recorded during mobile measurements along with visible plumes from home heating, support the source apportionment of the fine particle mass. •PMF revealed wood combustion for home heating to outclass industrial source.•Mannosan and levoglucosan in PM1 supported PMF receptor model results.•Lignite combustion was indicated by the homohopane index of 0.05.•Plumes from home chimneys caused PM10 up to 500 μgm−3 at street level.