Abstract:Using dust samples collected in urban, suburban area in Beijing during heating period, chemical characteristics of lanthanoid elements (La-Lu) and 5 heavy metals (Cr, Co, Mo, Cd, Pb) were analyzed in order to subsequently discuss the variation in spatial distribution. Discriminant Analysis, together with Spearman Correlation Analysis, was used to identify significant variables influencing the variation. Ternary diagram was further applied to explain the differences. The results demonstrated that the elements had obvious spatial variations along an urban-rural gradient. The concentrations of Cr, Mo, Cd and Pb and the degree of lighter lanthanoids fractionation presented a decreasing trend from urban core to suburb. On the contrary, the amount of Co, lanthanoids abundance and Eu-anomalies increased towards the suburb. Mo, Co and Pb accounted for 68.2% of total spatial variance. The LaCeSm diagram showed that the major origin of airborne dust in Beijing came from crustal materials. The PbCoMo and CrCoMo diagrams sufficiently explained that spatial variations of trace elements were due to the different contributions of pollution sources. The airborne dusts in suburb were mainly derived from soil and chimney soot. While the atmospheric dusts in urban core were primarily influenced by traffic emissions. In the middle transitional zone, the influences of the above sources were medial.