Two-year systematic investigation reveals alterations induced on chemical and bacteriome profile of PM2.5 by African dust incursions to the Mediterranean atmosphere

PM_2.5 atmospheric samples were regularly collected between January 2013 and March 2015 at a central location of Eastern Mediterranean (Island of Crete) during African dust events (DES) and periods of absence of such episodes as controls (CS). The elemental composition and microbiome DES and CS were thoroughly investigated. Fifty-six major and trace elements were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Relative mass abundances (RMA) of major crustal elements and lanthanoids were higher in DES than in CS. Conversely in CS, RMAs were higher for most anthropogenic transition metals. Lanthanum-to-other lanthanoids concentration ratios for DES approached the corresponding reference values for continental crust and several African dust source regions, while in CS they exceeded these values. USEPA's UNMIX receptor model, applied in all PM_2.5 samples, established that African dust is the dominant contributing source (by 80%) followed by road dust/fuel oil emissions (17%) in the receptor area. Potential source contribution function (PSCF) identified dust hotspots in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. The application of 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed high variation of bacterial composition and diversity between DES and CS samples. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteroides were the most dominant in both DES and CS samples, representing ~88% of the total bacterial diversity. Cutibacterium, Tumebacillus and Sphingomonas dominated the CS samples, while Rhizobium and Brevundimonas were the most prevalent genera in DES. Mutual exclusion/co-occurrence network analysis indicated that Sphingomonas and Chryseobacterium exhibited the highest degrees of mutual exclusion in CS, while in DES the corresponding species were Brevundimonas, Delftia, Rubellimicrobium, Flavobacterium, Blastococcus, and Pseudarthrobacter. Some of these microorganisms are emerging global opportunistic pathogens and an increase in human exposure to them as a result of environmental changes, is inevitable.

Aerosol responses to precipitation along North American air trajectories arriving at Bermuda

North American pollution outflow is ubiquitous over the western North Atlantic Ocean, especially in winter, making this location a suitable natural laboratory for investigating the impact of precipitation on aerosol particles along air mass trajectories. We take advantage of observational data collected at Bermuda to seasonally assess the sensitivity of aerosol mass concentrations and volume size distributions to accumulated precipitation along trajectories (APT). The mass concentration of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm normalized by the enhancement of carbon monoxide above background (PM2.5/ΔCO) at Bermuda was used to estimate the degree of aerosol loss during transport to Bermuda. Results for December-February (DJF) show that most trajectories come from North America and have the highest APTs, resulting in a significant reduction (by 53 %) in PM2.5/ΔCO under high-APT conditions (> 13.5 mm) relative to low-APT conditions (< 0.9 mm). Moreover, PM2.5/ΔCO was most sensitive to increases in APT up to 5 mm (-0.044 μg m-3 ppbv-1 mm-1) and less sensitive to increases in APT over 5 mm. While anthropogenic PM2.5 constituents (e.g., black carbon, sulfate, organic carbon) decrease with high APT, sea salt, in contrast, was comparable between high- and low-APT conditions owing to enhanced local wind and sea salt emissions in high-APT conditions. The greater sensitivity of the fine-mode volume concentrations (versus coarse mode) to wet scavenging is evident from AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) volume size distribution data. A combination of GEOS-Chem model simulations of the 210Pb submicron aerosol tracer and its gaseous precursor 222Rn reveals that (i) surface aerosol particles at Bermuda are most impacted by wet scavenging in winter and spring (due to large-scale precipitation) with a maximum in March, whereas convective scavenging plays a substantial role in summer; and (ii) North American 222Rn tracer emissions contribute most to surface 210Pb concentrations at Bermuda in winter (~75 %-80 %), indicating that air masses arriving at Bermuda experience large-scale precipitation scavenging while traveling from North America. A case study flight from the ACTIVATE field campaign on 22 February 2020 reveals a significant reduction in aerosol number and volume concentrations during air mass transport off the US East Coast associated with increased cloud fraction and precipitation. These results highlight the sensitivity of remote marine boundary layer aerosol characteristics to precipitation along trajectories, especially when the air mass source is continental outflow from polluted regions like the US East Coast.

Improved representation of the global dust cycle using observational constraints on dust properties and abundance

Even though desert dust is the most abundant aerosol by mass in Earth's atmosphere, atmospheric models struggle to accurately represent its spatial and temporal distribution. These model errors are partially caused by fundamental difficulties in simulating dust emission in coarse-resolution models and in accurately representing dust microphysical properties. Here we mitigate these problems by developing a new methodology that yields an improved representation of the global dust cycle. We present an analytical framework that uses inverse modeling to integrate an ensemble of global model simulations with observational constraints on the dust size distribution, extinction efficiency, and regional dust aerosol optical depth. We then compare the inverse model results against independent measurements of dust surface concentration and deposition flux and find that errors are reduced by approximately a factor of two relative to current model simulations of the Northern Hemisphere dust cycle. The inverse model results show smaller improvements in the less dusty Southern Hemisphere, most likely because both the model simulations and the observational constraints used in the inverse model are less accurate. On a global basis, we find that the emission flux of dust with geometric diameter up to 20 μm (PM20) is approximately 5,000 Tg/year, which is greater than most models account for. This larger PM20 dust flux is needed to match observational constraints showing a large atmospheric loading of coarse dust. We obtain gridded data sets of dust emission, vertically integrated loading, dust aerosol optical depth, (surface) concentration, and wet and dry deposition fluxes that are resolved by season and particle size. As our results indicate that this data set is more accurate than current model simulations and the MERRA-2 dust reanalysis product, it can be used to improve quantifications of dust impacts on the Earth system.

Contrasting wet deposition composition between three diverse islands and coastal North American sites

This study examined spatial variations of precipitation accumulation and chemistry for six sites located on the West and East Coasts of the U.S., and one site each on the islands of Hawaii, Bermuda, and Luzon of the Philippines (specifically Manila). The nine coastal sites ranged widely in both mean annual precipitation accumulation, ranging from 40 cm (Mauna Loa, Hawaii) to 275 cm (Washington), and in terms of monthly profiles. The three island sites represented the extremes of differences in terms of chemical profiles, with Bermuda having the highest overall ion concentrations driven mainly by sea salt, Hawaii having the highestSO 4 2 - mass fractions due to the nearby influence of volcanic SO2 emissions and mid-tropospheric transport of anthropogenic pollution, and Manila exhibiting the highest concentration of non-marine ions (NH 4 + non-sea salt [nss]SO 4 2 - , nss Ca2+,NO 3 - , nss K+, nss Na+, nss Mg2+) linked to anthropogenic, biomass burning, and crustal emissions. The Manila site exhibited the most variability in composition throughout the year due to shifting wind directions and having diverse regional and local pollutant sources. In contrast to the three island sites, the North American continental sites exhibited less variability in precipitation composition with sea salt being the most abundant constituent followed by some combination ofSO 4 2 - ,NO 3 - , andNH 4 + . The mean-annual pH values ranged from 4.88 (South Carolina) to 5.40 (central California) withNH 4 + exhibiting the highest neutralization factors for all sites except Bermuda where dust tracer species (nss Ca2+) exhibited enhanced values. The results of this study highlight the sensitivity of wet deposition chemistry to regional considerations, elevation, time of year, and atmospheric circulations.

Sources, frequency, and chemical nature of dust events impacting the United States East Coast

This study examines 14 years (2004-2017) of surface aerosol composition data from the EPA IMPROVE network with a focus on the monthly profile, sources, and chemical nature of extreme dust events (>92nd percentile of fine soil concentration each month) impacting ten sites along the United States East Coast ranging in latitude from Florida to Maine. Based on trajectory, remote sensing, and reanalysis data, dust events were categorized into four source categories: African, Asian, Mix (African + Asian), and Other (anything other than African and Asian). The results reveal that extreme dust events account for between 3.3% and 4.6% of total available days depending on the site. March-April-May (MAM) had the most (174) dust events, followed by June-July-August (JJA) with 172, and then by September-October-November (SON) with 160 and December-January-February (DFJ) with 150. There is a variability in the predominant dust sources based on latitude, with African and Other sources more influential from North Carolina to the south, while Asian and Other were most important from New Jersey to the north. The Mix category is consistently the least frequent dust category at all sites. The African dust category was linked to the highest fine soil levels across the entire East Coast relative to other sources regardless of location. JJA is mostly impacted by African dust for sites ranging from Florida to New Jersey, while MAM is dominated by Asian dust for all sites. Mix events occurred mostly between April and October and Other events were most common outside of MAM and JJA seasons. Seven out of ten sites had Other as the most dominant source. Aerosol constituents organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) had higher average concentrations in Other events (2.39 ± 0.78 μg m^-3 and 0.79 ± 0.81 μg m^-3, respectively) as compared to the other three source categories, suggestive of regional anthropogenic emissions. Moreover, the ratios of elements (Si:Al, K:Fe, Fe:Ca, Al:Ca) contributing to fine soil and PM_2.5:PM₁₀ exhibited distinct values depending on the dust source category and the site. This study builds on the growing evidence of the importance of long-range transport of dust in impacting distant regions and how a variety of sources can impact the U.S. East Coast at all times of the year.

Atmospheric Research Over the Western North Atlantic Ocean Region and North American East Coast: A Review of Past Work and Challenges Ahead

Decades of atmospheric research have focused on the Western North Atlantic Ocean (WNAO) region because of its unique location that offers accessibility for airborne and ship measurements, gradients in important atmospheric parameters, and a range of meteorological regimes leading to diverse conditions that are poorly understood. This work reviews these scientific investigations for the WNAO region, including the East Coast of North America and the island of Bermuda. Over 50 field campaigns and long-term monitoring programs, in addition to 715 peer-reviewed publications between 1946 and 2019 have provided a firm foundation of knowledge for these areas. Of particular importance in this region has been extensive work at the island of Bermuda that is host to important time series records of oceanic and atmospheric variables. Our review categorizes WNAO atmospheric research into eight major categories, with some studies fitting into multiple categories (relative %): Aerosols (25%), Gases (24%), Development/Validation of Techniques, Models, and Retrievals (18%), Meteorology and Transport (9%), Air-Sea Interactions (8%), Clouds/Storms (8%), Atmospheric Deposition (7%), and Aerosol-Cloud Interactions (2%). Recommendations for future research are provided in the categories highlighted above.

Seasonal Fluctuation of Endotoxin and Protein Concentrations in Outdoor Air in Sasebo, Japan

To determine the levels of endotoxin, which is a major component of outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, and protein in the atmosphere in Sasebo, Japan, we measured these biological materials in fine (aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm) and coarse (≥2.5 µm) particles collected for 81 weeks (September 2014 to May 2016). The monthly concentrations (i.e., the mean value of weekly concentrations for each month) of endotoxin were higher in coarse particles than in fine particles. Fluctuations in monthly endotoxin concentrations were large in both fine (0.0005-0.0208 EU/m³) and coarse (0.0032-0.1164 EU/m³) particles. Furthermore, the endotoxin concentrations in coarse particles were highest in October 2014 and 2015 as well as September 2014 (0.0407-0.1164 EU/m³). However, the monthly protein concentrations were higher in fine particles than in coarse particles. Compared to the endotoxin concentrations, the fluctuations in the monthly protein concentrations were smaller in both coarse and fine particles. To our knowledge, this study is the first to report long-term atmospheric concentrations of endotoxin and protein in Japan. Since the endotoxin concentrations in coarse particles were positively associated with the concentrations of Na⁺ and Cl^-, it suggests the involvement of Gram-negative bacteria from seawater to the endotoxin levels in the atmosphere. For fine particles, the protein concentrations were positively associated with the concentrations of particles, NO₃^- and SO₄^2-. These results suggest that combustion of organic materials, such as biomass burning, may be a contributor to atmospheric protein during this study period.

Marine Primary Productivity as a Potential Indirect Source of Selenium and Other Trace Elements in Atmospheric Deposition

Atmospheric processes play an important role in the supply of the trace element selenium (Se) as well as other essential trace elements to terrestrial environments, mainly via wet deposition. Here we investigate whether the marine biosphere can be identified as a source of Se and of other trace elements in precipitation samples. We used artificial neural network (ANN) modeling and other statistical methods to analyze relationships between a high-resolution atmospheric deposition chemistry time series (March 2007-January 2009) from Plynlimon (UK) and exposure of air masses to marine chlorophyll a and to other source proxies. Using ANN sensitivity analyses, we found that higher air mass exposure to marine productivity leads to higher concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in rainfall. Furthermore, marine productivity was found to be an important but indirect factor in controlling Se as well as vanadium (V), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), and aluminum (Al) concentrations in atmospheric deposition, likely via scavenging by organic compounds derived from marine organisms. Marine organisms may thus play an indirect but important role in the delivery of trace elements to terrestrial environments and food chains.

Atmospheric transport of trace elements and nutrients to the oceans

This paper reviews atmospheric inputs of trace elements and nutrients to the oceans in the context of the GEOTRACES programme and provides new data from two Atlantic GEOTRACES cruises. We consider the deposition of nitrogen to the oceans, which is now dominated by anthropogenic emissions, the deposition of mineral dust and related trace elements, and the deposition of other trace elements which have a mixture of anthropogenic and dust sources. We then consider the solubility (as a surrogate for bioavailability) of the various elements. We consider briefly the sources, atmospheric transport and transformations of these elements and how this results in strong spatial deposition gradients. Solubility of the trace elements also varies systematically between elements, reflecting their sources and cycling, and for some trace elements there are also systematic gradients in solubility related to dust loading. Together, these effects create strong spatial gradients in the inputs of bioavailable trace elements to the oceans, and we are only just beginning to understand how these affect ocean biogeochemistry.This article is part of the themed issue 'Biological and climatic impacts of ocean trace element chemistry'.

Substantial contribution of northern high-latitude sources to mineral dust in the Arctic

In the Arctic, impurities in the atmosphere and cryosphere can strongly affect the atmospheric radiation and surface energy balance. While black carbon has hence received much attention, mineral dust has been in the background. Mineral dust is not only transported into the Arctic from remote regions but also, possibly increasingly, generated in the region itself. Here we study mineral dust in the Arctic based on global transport model simulations. For this, we have developed a dust mobilization scheme in combination with the Lagrangian particle dispersion model FLEXPART. A model evaluation, based on measurements of surface concentrations and annual deposition at a number of stations and aircraft vertical profiles, shows the suitability of this model to study global dust transport. Simulations indicate that about 3% of global dust emission originates from high-latitude dust sources in the Arctic. Due to limited convection and enhanced efficiency of removal, dust emitted in these source regions is mostly deposited closer to the source than dust from for instance Asia or Africa. This leads to dominant contributions of local dust sources to total surface dust concentrations (~85%) and dust deposition (~90%) in the Arctic region. Dust deposition from local sources peaks in autumn, while dust deposition from remote sources occurs mainly in spring in the Arctic. With increasing altitude, remote sources become more important for dust concentrations as well as deposition. Therefore, total atmospheric dust loads in the Arctic are strongly influenced by Asian (~38%) and African (~32%) dust, whereas local dust contributes only 27%. Dust loads are thus largest in spring when remote dust is efficiently transported into the Arctic. Overall, our study shows that contributions of local dust sources are more important in the Arctic than previously thought, particularly with respect to surface concentrations and dust deposition.

A landscape-scale approach to examining the fate of atmospherically derived industrial metals in the surficial environment

Industrial metals are now ubiquitous within the atmosphere and their deposition represents a potential source of contamination to surficial environments. Few studies, however, have examined the environmental fate of atmospheric industrial metals within different surface environments. In this study, patterns of accumulation of atmospherically transported industrial metals were investigated within the surface environments of the Snowy Mountains, Australia. Metals, including Pb, Sb, Cr and Mo, were enriched in aerosols collected in the Snowy Mountains by 3.5-50 times pre-industrial concentrations. In sedimentary environments (soils, lakes and reservoirs) metals showed varying degrees of enrichment. Differences were attributed to the relative degree of atmospheric input, metal sensitivity to enrichment, catchment area and metal behaviour following deposition. In settings where atmospheric deposition dominated (ombrotrophic peat mires in the upper parts of catchments), metal enrichment patterns most closely resembled those in collected aerosols. However, even in these environments significant dilution (by 5-7 times) occurred. The most sensitive industrial metals (those with the lowest natural concentration; Cd, Ag, Sb and Mo) were enriched throughout the studied environments. However, in alpine tarn-lakes no other metals were enriched, due to the dilution of pollutant-metals by catchment derived sediment. In reservoirs, which were located lower within catchments, industrial metals exhibited more complex patterns. Particle reactive metals (e.g. Pb) displayed little enrichment, implying that they were retained up catchment, whereas more soluble metals (e.g., Cu and Zn) showed evidence of concentration. These same metals (Cu and Zn) were depleted in soils, implying that they are preferentially transported through catchments. Enrichment of other metals (e.g. Cd) varied between reservoirs as a function of contributing catchment area. Overall this study showed that the fate of atmospherically derived metals is complex, and depends upon metal behaviour and geomorphic processes operating at landscape scales.

Properties of agricultural aerosol released during wheat harvest threshing, plowing and sowing

This study shows for the first time a chemical and morphological characterization of agricultural aerosols released during three important agricultural operations: threshing, plowing and sowing. The field campaigns were carried out in the eastern part of the Po Valley, Italy, in summer and autumn 2009. The aerosol particles were sampled on quartz fiber filters and polytetrafluoroethylene membranes in order to allow Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy equipped with an Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometer (SEM-EDS) investigations, respectively. The organic carbon mass concentrations were measured with a Sunset Laboratory Dual-Optical Organic Carbone/Elemental Carbon (OCEC) Aerosol analyzer. The morphological and chemical analyses by SEM-EDS allowed recognizing four main particle classes: organic, silica, calcite and clay minerals. The organic particles contribute to both fine and coarse aerosol fractions up to ca. 50% for all three agricultural activities. This was also confirmed by OCEC analysis for fine fraction. Most of the agricultural aerosols, about 60%, were single particles and the remaining 40% were agglomerations of particles. The ICP-MS results showed that threshing and plowing produce more aerosol particles than sowing, which was characterized by important amounts of clay minerals produced from land soils.

Atmospheric transport and deposition of mineral dust to the ocean: implications for research needs

This paper reviews our knowledge of the measurement and modeling of mineral dust emissions to the atmosphere, its transport and deposition to the ocean, the release of iron from the dust into seawater, and the possible impact of that nutrient on marine biogeochemistry and climate. Of particular concern is our poor understanding of the mechanisms and quantities of dust deposition as well as the extent of iron solubilization from the dust once it enters the ocean. Model estimates of dust deposition in remote oceanic regions vary by more than a factor of 10. The fraction of the iron in dust that is available for use by marine phytoplankton is still highly uncertain. There is an urgent need for a long-term marine atmospheric surface measurement network, spread across all oceans. Because the southern ocean is characterized by large areas with high nitrate but low chlorophyll surface concentrations, that region is particularly sensitive to the input of dust and iron. Data from this region would be valuable, particularly at sites downwind from known dust source areas in South America, Australia, and South Africa. Coordinated field experiments involving both atmospheric and marine measurements are recommended to address the complex and interlinked processes and role of dust/Fe fertilization on marine biogeochemistry and climate.

Enhanced solubility and ecological impact of atmospheric phosphorus deposition upon extended seawater exposure

Atmospheric P solubility affects the amount of P available for phytoplankton in the surface ocean, yet our understanding of the timing and extent of atmospheric P solubility is based on short-term leaching experiments where conditions may differ substantially from the surface ocean. We conducted longer- term dissolution experiments of atmospheric aerosols in filtered seawater, and found up to 9-fold greater dissolution of P after 72 h compared to instantaneous leaching. Samples rich in anthropogenic materials released dissolved inorganic P (DIP) faster than mineral dust. To gauge the effect of biota on the fate of atmospheric P, we conducted field incubations with aerosol samples collected in the Sargasso Sea and Red Sea. In the Sargasso Sea phytoplankton were not P limited, and biological activity enhanced DIP release from aerosols, and aerosols induced biological mineralization of dissolved organic P in seawater, leading to DIP accumulation. However, in the Red Sea where phytoplankton were colimited by P and N, soluble P was rapidly consumed by phytoplankton following aerosol enrichment. Our results suggest that atmospheric P dissolution could continue over multiple days once reaching the surface ocean, and that previous estimates of atmospheric P deposition may underestimate the contribution from this source.

Respirable antimony and other trace-elements inside and outside an elementary school in Flagstaff, AZ, USA

Because people spend almost 90% of their time indoors, ambient air monitors may severely underestimate actual exposure to atmospheric particulate matter (PM). Therefore, it becomes increasingly important to better understand the microenvironments where people are spending their time. For preadolescent children, the best estimates of exposure may be inside of their school. In this study, 11 size fractions of PM were collected inside and outside of an elementary school in Flagstaff, AZ, USA. In particles<1 μm (PM1), the total mass indoors was similar to the mass outdoors (indoor:outdoor, I:O, ratio=0.92 ± 0.16). In the PM1-10 fraction, however, the mass concentration inside the school was highly elevated relative to outside the school (I:O ratios=13 ± 3). Mass concentrations of 27 elements were analyzed by ICP-MS. For all metals except for antimony (Sb), the PM1 and PM1-10 I:O ratios are found to be similar to the overall PM mass (near 1 and 13, respectively). In addition, indoor and outdoor particle size distributions reveal a crustal character for every element except Cu, Zn, Pb, and Sb. Therefore, we hypothesize that most of the PM mass inside the school is a result of transport from outside the school followed by resuspension from floors and clothing. In the PM1 fraction, the indoor mass of Sb was 86 times greater than the outdoor mass and had an air concentration of 17 ngm(-3) - greater than many urban areas around the world. Cu:Sb ratios and size distribution functions suggest that the excess source of PM1 indoor Sb results from the suspension of embedded Sb (used as a flame retardant) in the carpeting. This is the first study to observe elevated submicron Sb in schools and further studies are required to determine if this is a widespread health risk.

High-latitude dust over the North Atlantic: inputs from Icelandic proglacial dust storms

Mineral aerosols play an important role in the atmosphere-ocean climate system. Research has focused almost exclusively on sources in low-latitude arid regions, but here we show that there are substantial sources in cold, higher latitudes. A 6-year record of measurements made on Heimaey, an island south of Iceland, reveals frequent dust events with concentrations exceeding 20 micrograms per cubic meter. Much of this potentially iron-rich dust is transported southward and deposited in the North Atlantic. Emissions are highest in spring and spatially and temporally associated with active glacial outwash plains; large dust events appear to be associated with glacial outburst floods. In response to global warming, ice retreat on Iceland and in other glacierized areas is likely to increase dust emissions from these regions.

Size distribution and anthropogenic sources apportionment of airborne trace metals in Kanazawa, Japan

Aerosol samples were collected from Kanazawa, Japan to examine the size distribution of 12 elements and to identify the major sources of anthropogenic elements. Key emission sources were identified and, concentrations contributed from individual sources were estimated as well. Concentrations of elements V, Ca, Cd, Fe, Ba, Mg, Mn, Pb, Sr, Zn, Co and Cu in aerosols were determined with ICP-MS. The results showed that Ca, Mg, Sr, Mn, Co and Fe were mainly associated with coarse particles (>2.1 microm), primarily from natural sources. In contrast, the elements Zn, Ba, Cd, V, Pb and Cu dominated in fine aerosol particles (<2.1 microm), implying that the anthropogenic origin is the dominant source. Results of the factor analysis on elements with high EF(Crust) values (>10) showed that emissions from waste combustion in incinerators, oil combustion (involving waste oil burning and oil combustion in both incinerators and electricity generation plants), as well as coal combustion in electricity generation plants were major contributors of anthropogenic metals in the ambient atmosphere in Kanazawa. Quantitatively estimated sum of mean concentrations of anthropogenic elements from the key sources were in good agreement with the observed values. Results of this study elucidate the need for making pollution control strategy in this area.

Levels of selected metals in ambient air PM10 in an urban site of Zaragoza (Spain)

An assessment of the air quality of Zaragoza (Spain) was performed by determining the trace element content in airborne PM10 in a sampling campaign from July 2001 to July 2002. Samples were collected in a heavy traffic area with a high volume air sampler provided with a PM10 cutoff inlet. The levels of 16 elements (Al, Ba, Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Sr, V, and Zn) were quantified after collecting the PM10 on Teflon-coated glass fiber filters (GFF). Regarding the PM10, 32% exceedance of the proposed PM10 daily limit was obtained, some of them corresponding to summer and autumn periods. The limit values of toxic trace elements from US-EPA, WHO, and EC were not exceeded, considering Zaragoza as a moderately polluted city under the current air quality guidelines. The contribution of anthropogenic sources to atmospheric elemental levels was reflected by the high values of enrichment factors for Zn, Pb, and Cu compared to the average crustal composition. Statistical analyses also determined the contribution of different sources to the PM10, finding that vehicle traffic and anthropogenic emissions related to combustion and industrial processes were the main pollutant sources as well as natural sources associated with transport of dust from Africa for specific dates. Regarding the influence of meteorological conditions on PM10 and trace elements concentrations, it was found that calm weather conditions with low wind speed favor the PM10 collection and the pollution for trace elements, suggesting the influence of local sources.