Trends in seasonal mean speciated aerosol composition in remote areas of
the United States from 2000 through 2021
Abstract
Large reductions in anthropogenic emissions of particulate matter and
its precursor emissions have occurred since the enactment of the Clean
Air Act Amendments of 1990. The Interagency Monitoring of Protected
Visual Environments (IMPROVE) network has measured PM2.5 gravimetric
mass (mass of particles with aerodynamic diameters less than 2.5 µm,
also referred to here as fine mass, “FM”) and speciated PM2.5 aerosol
composition at remote sites since 1988. Measured species include
inorganic anions such as sulfate, nitrate, and chloride, carbonaceous
aerosols such as organic (OC) and elemental carbon (EC), and elemental
concentrations used to derive fine dust (FD). Trend analyses of seasonal
and annual mean mass concentrations were calculated from 2000 through
2021, a period that includes the largest reductions in emissions. On
average, annual mean FM at remote sites in the continental United States
has decreased at a rate of -1.8% yr-1. This reduction is largely due to
annual mean trends in sulfate (-6.1% yr-1), nitrate (-2.7% yr-1), EC
(-2.2% yr-1), FD (-1.3% yr-1), and OC (-0.9% yr-1), although the OC
annual mean trend was insignificant. Seasonal and regional FM trends
varied significantly, with strong reductions in the East in all seasons
due to sulfate reductions, and flat and insignificant trends in summer
and fall in the West due to the impacts of biomass burning emissions on
OC trends. Evaluating regional and seasonal trends in aerosol
composition helps identify sources that continue to adversely impact air
quality and hinder progress in FM reductions due to successful
regulatory activity.