A major wintertime (1983) pollution episode in Northern New Jersey: Analyses of the accumulation and spatial distribution of Inhalable Particulate Matter, extractable organic matter and other species

A major wintertime episode occurred 13–17 February 1983 in northeastern NJ. The spatial extent was defined by the meteorological conditions and the levels of indicator pollutants such as CoH's, SO2 and CO. Data from the Airborne Toxic Elements and Organic Species (ATEOS) sites (Newark, Elizabeth, Camden and Ringwood) were examined to determine if any were located in the affected area. The chemical composition of the Inhalable Particulate Matter (IPM), d50 = 15 μm, for both inorganic and organic species are described and differences from mean composition analyzed. Comparable data were heretofore unavailable for any winter episode occurring in the NY-NJ metropolitan area since 1971. Using information available from the 1953 and 1966 metropolitan area episodes, the magnitude of the February 1983 episode is classified, and clear-cut differences are noted.