PM LEVELS IN SELECTED URBAN MICROENVIRONMENTS NEAR THE COPER SMELTER COMPLEX, BOR, SERBIA

Abstract

Background: Numerous epidemiological studies have associated exposure to PM in the outdoor environment to adverse health effects. Nowadays, the attention is paid to indoor air pollution, since people spend most of time in the indoor for which there is gap of PM data. Aims: The Municipality of Bor has been the major centre for mining and processing of copper and other precious metals, assumed as hot spot with the main source of air pollution of SO2 and toxic metals and metalloids in PM. However, annual values of outdoor PM in Bor town have been reported for several years as one of the lowest in Serbia. Our study is aimed to determine the level PM in selected indoor microenvironments as hospital, kindergarten, etc. Methods: In the real-time PM10 and PM2.5 were monitored in the outdoor air with the GRIMM EDM180 while in the indoor with Turnkey OSIRIS Model 2315. For calculation calibration factors at each location during the first week of campaign a 24-h samples were collected concurrently with reference gravimetric samplers for both PM fractions. Campaigns for microenvironments were conducted in duration of 240 days covering heating and non-heating period during work-shifts days in period of 2009-2012. Results:Mean PM10 levels at Hospital and Kindergarten surpassing the EU yearly air quality standard of 40 µg/m3. The number of days that exceed the daily limit value for ambient PM10 level was calculated equal to 52% and 63% respectively. Furthermore, the measured indoor PM10 concentrations were higher than the outdoor ones at both sites. At the both microenvironment during heating period, mean daily concentrations of PM2.5 were greater than 25 µg/m3. Conclusions: Correlation coefficient between 0.33 and 0.62 show influence of outdoor to indoor PM. Mean I/O ratios were found to vary depending on the indoor activities and the outdoor concentration levels. Further research should be carried out in order to fully confirm these findings and identify sources of indoor PM.