Contribution of carbon to PM in the Netherlands is several tens of percentage points

Particulate matter (PM) in the Netherlands consists for 20 to 30% of carbon, according to measurements. This part of PM presently is believed to be especially associated with adverse health effects of PM. We found that the contribution of carbon to PM increased with 2 to 3 µg/m³ from rural to urban traffic measurement locations. The increment is attributed to the contribution from traffic as a source of carbon.