This study characterized aerosol and cloud water collected at Young-Min Mountain during China’s dust affected periods. Analyses of 26 effective PM10 and PM2.5 samples and 196 cloud-and-fog water are accomplished in this operation. Meanwhile, aerosol and cloud-and-fog water from the Southeast Asia were also investigated in an intensive study at Lu-Ling Mountain. The effect on air quality resulted from worshipping on Da-Chia Goddess during her inspection tour was assessed. In addition, 14, 16, and 16 effective TSP、PM10 and PM2.5 samples were collected during non-dust periods. The influence of China’s dust is less severe this year. The concentration of PM10 is not high, however, PM2.5 fraction in PM10 is relatively high and has a consistent variation with PM10. In aerosol composition, sulfur is predominant in PM2.5; in contrast, silicon, calcium, and sulfur are major elements in PM2.5-10. The elemental content of PM2.5-10 shows the evidence of dust arrival. Meanwhile, trajectory analysis verifies that dust characteristics of aerosol is evident for air masses originated from dust storm region and transported high. In contrast, aerosol sulfur is significant for air masses pass China’s coastal area and transported low. Also, aerosol carbon is low during dust periods. Previous observations on cloud-and-fog water showed that high SO42- was associated with low pH value. The pH value, however, is lifted by the increase of Ca2+ for its ability in neutralizing H+ ions. In contrast, the Ca2+ in the cloud water of the dust flow was not increased as expected and the airflow from the South China transported sulfate to make cloud water more sour. The cloud water was predominantly with Cl- and Na+ last year, whereas major ions were SO42-, NH4+, and NO3- this year. For air trajectories from the Southeast Asia with biomass burning, aerosol concentration at Lu-Ling Mountain is significantly higher than that from the Pacific Ocean. The airflow from biomass burning was transported with aerosol potassium plus higher sulfate and carbons.

Asian Dust Storm,biomass burning,air trajectory