Elemental Contribution to the Mass of PM2.5 in Guadalajara City, Mexico

The seasonal behavior of the mass of PM2.5 and its elemental components and their contribution to the mass of the particles is described for two different sites in Guadalajara City. The average mass of the particles for the entire study period at the two sites, Centro and Miravalle (1.3 and 1.8 mg, respectively), showed significant differences (p < 0.05), while differences (p < 0.05) between seasons (rainy and dry season) only occurred at Miravalle. The total elemental contribution to the mass of the particles was 1.97% in Miravalle and 2.05% at Centro, with Iron and Titanium the largest contributors and most abundant elements for both sites. Likewise, the monthly contribution per element with respect to the monthly mass of all elements was estimated. The results revealed that the elements that present the biggest contribution to this mass were Iron, Titanium, Zinc and Magnesium. Iron was the largest contributor at both sites. At Miravalle, the contribution oscillated between 56 and 58% from January to June, while at Centro it oscillated between 55 and 40% for the same period of time.