ABSTRACT
The term “source apportionment” is frequently used as a synonym for atmospheric gas or particle “receptor modeling”. The impact of particles on the atmospheric environment depends qualitatively on their chemical and physical properties, and quantitatively on their lifetimes and abundances. The extension of atmospheric particles in time and space, as related to size, has been treated by Jaenicke. The deleterious effects of carbonaceous particles, and more generally, combustion particles, serve as the driving force for research on the formation and atmospheric life-cycle of these particles. The influence of human activities on the production and life-cycle of atmospheric particles has become the focus of international research programs. Mankind’s past contributions to atmospheric particles may be read from both human and natural archives. In contrast to the elemental composition of atmospheric particles, the structure and composition of the carbonaceous fraction is extremely rich and diverse.
