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Apportionment of Ambient PM10 Using Scanning Electron Microscopy
Ambient PM10 samples were collected from five locations in Corcoran, California as part of the Fall 2000 field program component of the California Regional Particulate Air Quality Study (CRPAQS). Ambient PM10 samples were also collected at a remote location to estimate regional influence on air quality in Corcoran. Source samples of geological material were collected from soil near the site of each ambient monitor. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis techniques were used by RJ Lee Group (RJLG) to evaluate the ambient PM10 and local soil samples. Individual particle species concentrations were compared between source and ambient samples to determine the principal contributing sources of PM10 and to assess the extent of contributions from nearby neighborhood, urban and regional sources.