Spectroscopic and Chromatographic Techniques and Methodologies for the Determination of Metals, Metalloids and Ions in Atmospheric Aerosols

Abstract

Atmospheric chemistry, as other environmental disciplines, has benefited from the development of innovative analytical techniques and methodologies in the last decades. Nowadays there is concern, not only in the scientific community, but also in regulatory agencies and the general public about the importance of the presence of a variety of toxic and potentially toxic pollutants in atmospheric aerosols. Atmospheric aerosol is a dispersion of solid and liquid particles suspended in air. In spite of this definition, it is a common practice to refer the term aerosol only to the particles composing the dispersion. These particles occur in various shape and size distributions depending on their emission sources and fate in the atmosphere. Today, it is well known that problems related to human exposure, health risks, effects on biological systems, materials and building damage can be ascribed to air pollution. In connection with their optical properties, aerosols play an important role in the global climate, the radiative forcing of climate and the Earth’s radiative balance...