Abstract
PM2.5 and PM10 atmospheric particulate material samples were collected from Irbid city, Northern Jordan using a dichotomous air sampler. Collected samples were digested and analyzed for 17 elements (Al, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, V and Zn) using ICP-OES. Levels of measured elements were compared to concentrations in many other locations worldwide. Concentrations of most elements are in the lower limits of the reported values for urban and sub-urban sites. Elements of natural sources; Al, Ca, Fe, and P have higher concentrations compared to other cities worldwide. Results indicated that, elements of crustal origin are associated with the coarse particles, while elements of anthropogenic origins are more associated with fine particles. Crustal enrichment factor calculations showed that concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cd, Sb, and Ag are highly enriched and As, Cu, Co, Ca, and Ni are moderately enriched. Factor analysis calculations permitted the identification of three sources affecting the levels of elements in the fine fraction, namely re-suspended road dust, automobile emissions, and industrial emissions.
Highlights
Industrial expansion took place without much awareness of the environment and brought with it a rapid rise in pollution, particulate matter (PM)
This study aimed to identify possible sources of heavy metals associated with the atmospheric aerosols using enrichment factors (EFs) and principal component analysis (PCA)
Except for Na, Ca, Mg and P, the fine-to-coarse EF ratios of elements were higher than unity for all samples, indicating that most of the elements are more enriched in the fine fraction
Summary
Industrial expansion took place without much awareness of the environment and brought with it a rapid rise in pollution, particulate matter (PM). An intensive effort has been spent to study the trace metals composition of the PM in the atmosphere. Previous studies have pointed toward the presence of a strong connection between the levels of fine particles in the ambient atmosphere and many health problems [1, 2]. Fine particles are inhaled deep into the lungs where they readily trapped for long periods of time [3]. Long-term epidemiological studies have revealed consistent associations between ambient concentrations of inhalable (PM10) and respirable (PM2.5) particle and increased risk of various adverse health outcomes, including lung diseases, premature death and cardiopulmonary mortality [1, 4]. A study of blood lead levels of 389 children in Northern Jordan indicated that 30% of the children had lead levels above 10 μg/dL in their blood [5]
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