The objective of the research conducted by the Center for Air Toxic Metals (CATM) is to address air toxic trace element emissions, which have become a matter of worldwide concern as well as a regulatory issue in the United States. The goal of CATM is to develop key information on air toxic metal compounds to support development and implementation of pollution prevention and control strategies that will reduce air toxic metal emissions and releases to the environment.
Ambient particulate matter (PM), PM1, and PM2.were sampled continuously during August 2631, 2002, from an urban state and local air monitoring station site in the vicinity of two oil- and gas-burning power plants. Urban PM, PM1 and PM2 samples were analyzed using X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy during October 18 22, 2002, at the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory, New York. Preliminary XAFS data reduction procedures indicate that Ni and Cr were present in sufficient concentrations in all three samples to obtain good X-ray absorption spectra; however, As was below the detection limit (2 ppm). XAFS is being used to determine the speciation of Ni and Cr in ambient PM, PM1, and PM2 samples directly.