Persulfate wet oxidation method for the determination of total phosphorus in atmospheric aerosols and its application for a year-round observation in beijing

Measurement of the phosphorus concentration in aerosols in Beijing, which was a representative East Asian mega-city, was carried out. The optimum procedure for analyzing phosphorus in aerosols was found in this study. Recovery of phosphorus in environmental samples through the improved method was almost 100%. The concentration of phosphorus in TSP was 145&Plusminus;47 ng/m3, with a seasonal variation showing high concentrations in winter and low concentrationsin summer. The concentrations of phosphorusin PM2.5 accounted for 35&Plusminus;6% of those inTSP, with no seasonal variations. The major source of phosphorus in aerosols in Beijing was soil dust, and additional sources of phosphorus in fine particles could be coal combustion and biomass burning.