Pollution Characteristics and Sources of Ambient Air Dustfall in Urban Area of Beijing

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear authors

My comments on the manuscript are illustrated as follows:

1. Abstract: The abstract should be written in the following context: Background, objective(s),
methods, results, conclusions, policy recommendations.

2. Introduction: The introduction lacks study background. What is the novelty? How is your study different from other studies? Please explain in detail. Many important studies related to the topic have been ignored. How you can compare your results with other studies of same geographical regions. It is pivotal to tie your results with other relevant literature.

3. Discussion: The study discussion is very generic and do not stem from study findings. It is suggested to rearrange discussion based on study findings.

4. Policy recommendations: Specific policy recommendations should be put forward according to the target sample. General policies are of no use in scholarly articles.

5. Study limitations should be provided along with future research directions for prospective scholars interested in the similar works.

6. The authors have used several old references to support their arguments. We are in 2024 and you are using such old references. To nurture the importance of study, references should be updated using recent and relevant studies.

7. There is an intermingle of capital and small letters. Please avoid this practice in scientific writing.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

There is an intermingle of capital and small letters. Please avoid this practice in scientific writing.

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The manuscript describes the dustfall volumes, chemical composition, and sources in an area of Beijing in 2021-2022.

Comments:

Lines 66-67. This sentence needs a citation source.

Line 77. “In additional”. You mean, in addition?

Materials and methods. It is not very clear -- how was dust fall separated from rainwater and / or snow in the sampler? Perhaps a scheme of the sampler would explain it to the readers.

Line 86. “where has a temperate monsoon climate” – please rephrase

Lines 142-143. There are studies where ICP-MS was used to determine more than Al and Fe. Please rephrase or be more specific.

Tables 1 and 2. I think it would make more sense if you include your data from Beijing in both tables 1 and 2 as a reference.

Lines 339 and further. Snow melting agent melts snow on the streets, right? How can it contribute to the composition of dust during the same snowfall? It evaporates prior to snowfall?

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

1. I don't agree with the first sentence of Abstract: "In comparison to developed countries, the urban area of Beijing still faces significant air 12 pollution caused by dustfall". Here the authors are indirectly saying that developed countries don't receive dustfall, as they are developed? As per my understanding dustfall is happening geographically, and has no relation with developed countries. Kindly rephrase it. 

2. Page 2, Line 69: "Therefore, it is urgent to carry out a systematic study..."

Kindly rephrase it as "It is important to carry......"

3. Please provide latitudes and longitudes on x and y axis of Figure 1, site map, first panel on left. 

4. Figure 7, for some chemical compounds, there is no dust mass but high contribution rate. Is it an error? Please look into it.

5. The analysis, particularly with mereological variables is just a correlation like study without going into statistical details. I am unable to see the point made by the authors here in scientific way. Kindly include statistical test to support your hypothesis here. 

6. Why PMF? there are other methods as well, e.g., CMB, PSCF, CWT. What provokes authors to choose PMF for this study? Kindly add your explanation in the revised manuscript.

7. Conclusions are obsolete. With the current findings, the manuscript adds no new information to the existing knowledge. Kindly revise the conclusion section carefully.

 

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear authors,

My comments have adequately addressed by authors.