Abstract
This research was conducted to measure the levels of asbestos fibers in the air of some dense sites of Baghdad city, which were monitored in autumn 2019. Samples collection was conducted via directing air flow to a mixed cellulose ester membrane filter mounted on an open‑faced filter holder using sniffer with a low flow sampling pump. Air samples were collected from four studied areas selected in some high traffic areas of Baghdad city, two of them were located in Karkh (Al-Bayaa and Al-Shurta tunnel) and two in Rusafa (Al-Jadriya and Al-Meshin complex), then analyzed to determine concentrations of asbestos. Measuring of levels of asbestos fibers on the filters was carried out via using scanning electron microscope SEM together with an energy dispersive X‑ray system (EDS). The results showed that the lowest level was recorded in Al-Jadriya intersection (0.0352 fiber/ml), while the maximum concentration was in Al-Bayaa (0.156 f/ml). Asbestos average concentration in the ambient air of the four studied areas was 0.0718 f/ml, which exceeded the standards of world health organization (WHO) for air which is equal to 0.0022 f/ml. This may be due to the presence of crowded traffic and the occurrence of industries near the city. Therefore, plans such as management of traffic, changing locations of industrial sites, and products substitution can be effective in minimizing the concentrations of airborne fibers.
Highlights
الخلاصه اليجف من ىحه الج ارسة ىه قياس مدتهيات ألياف الأسبدتهز في اليهاء السحيط في بعض السشاطق أخحت العيشات عن طخيق.2012 حيث تم د ارسة ت اخكيد الاسبدتهز في خخيف.السددحسة في مجيشة بغجاد جسع عيشات اليهاء عمى مخشح غذاء إستخ سميمهز مختمط مخكب عمى حامل مخشح مفتهح الهجو باستخجام مشظقتان، تم جسع عيشات اليهاء من أربع مشاطق ذات كثافة مخورية، مزخة ضخ عيشات مشخفزة التجفق
Since mid-1960, there has been some evidence about serious health problems that can be caused by asbestos fibers, including lung cancer and mesothelioma [10]
The American environmental protection organization reported that 32 million kilograms of asbestos fibers are emitted annually into the environment, which is attributed to the corrosion of pads of vehicle brake [2]
Summary
Al-Bayaa is one of the popular areas in the capital Baghdad due to its population density. Based on the results of SEM, the concentration of the fibers was the highest in Al-Bayaa area (0.156 f/ml) and the lowest was in Al-Jadriya (0.0352 f/ml), as shown in Figure- 2. All these results exceed the standards level of the WHO which was set to be equal to 0.0022 f/ml. The others two studied locations, Al-Jadriya and Al-Meshin complex, recorded high levels of asbestos fibers due to the fact that they are commercial areas characterized by congested traffic. It is important to mention that natural sources such as weathering and erosion are among the important reasons for the spread of asbestos in the surrounding air [22, 23]
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