Source signatures from combined isotopic analyses of PM2.5 carbonaceous and nitrogen aerosols at the peri-urban Taehwa Research Forest, South Korea in summer and fall

Abstract Isotopes are essential tools to apportion major sources of aerosols. We measured the radiocarbon, stable carbon, and stable nitrogen isotopic composition of PM 2.5 at Taehwa Research Forest (TRF) near Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA) during August–October 2014. PM 2.5 , TC, and TN concentrations were 19.4 ± 10.1 μg m −3 , 2.6 ± 0.8 μg C m −3 , and 1.4 ± 1.4 μg N m −3 , respectively. The δ 13 C of TC and the δ 15 N of TN were − 25.4 ± 0.7‰ and 14.6 ± 3.8‰, respectively. EC was dominated by fossil-fuel sources with F ff (EC) of 78 ± 7%. In contrast, contemporary sources were dominant for TC with F c (TC) of 76 ± 7%, revealing the significant contribution of contemporary sources to OC during the growing season. The isotopic signature carries more detailed information on sources depending on air mass trajectories. The urban influence was dominant under stagnant condition, which was in reasonable agreement with the estimated δ 15 N of NH 4 + . The low δ 15 N (7.0 ± 0.2‰) with high TN concentration was apparent in air masses from Shandong province, indicating fossil fuel combustion as major emission source. In contrast, the high δ 15 N (16.1 ± 3.2‰) with enhanced TC/TN ratio reveals the impact of biomass burning in the air transported from the far eastern border region of China and Russia. Our findings highlight that the multi-isotopic composition is a useful tool to identify emission sources and to trace regional sources of carbonaceous and nitrogen aerosols.