Chemical characterization and mass closure of PM10 and PM2.5 at an urban site in Karachi – Pakistan

Abstract

Abstract A mass balance method is applied to assess main source contributions to PM2.5 and PM10 levels in Karachi. Carbonaceous species (elemental carbon, organic carbon, carbonate carbon), soluble ions (Ca++, Mg++, Na+, K+, NH4+, Cl − , NO3 − , SO4 − ), saccharides (levoglucosan, galactosan, mannosan, sucrose, fructose, glucose, arabitol and mannitol) were determined in atmospheric fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM10) aerosol samples collected under pre-monsoon conditions (March–April 2009) at an urban site in Karachi (Pakistan). The concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 were found to be 75 μg/m3 and 437 μg/m3 respectively. The large difference between PM10 and PM2.5 originated predominantly from mineral dust. “Calcareous dust” and „siliceous dust” were the over all dominating material in PM, with 46% contribution to PM2.5 and 78% to PM10–2.5. Combustion particles and secondary organics (EC + OM) comprised 23% of PM2.5 and 6% of PM10–2.5. EC, as well as OC ambient levels were higher (59% and 56%) in PM10–2.5 than in PM2.5. Biomass burning contributed about 3% to PM2.5, and had a share of about 13% of “EC + OM” in PM2.5. The impact of bioaerosol (fungal spores) was minor and had a share of 1 and 2% of the OC in the PM2.5 and PM10–2.5 size fractions. In case of secondary inorganic aerosols, ammonium sulphate (NH4)2SO4 contributes 4.4% to PM2.5 and no detectable quantity were found in fraction PM10–2.5. The sea salt contribution is about 2% both to PM2.5 and PM10–2.5.