Elemental constituents of atmospheric particulates and particle density

Atmospheric particulates are expected to be formed from materials of various densities. Particle motion in the atmosphere is characterized by the product of the density multiplied by the diameter squared. For studies of source characteristics, atmospheric transport processes and removal rates of atmospheric particulates, accurate knowledge of density distribution is essential. Previous studies 1–3 indicated that the value of 1.7 g cm −3 for the average density of atmospheric submicrometre particles was quite reasonable. However, there are very few published data on the elemental constituent as a function of density of atmospheric particulates I report here the density distribution of Si, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu in the atmosphere.