Abstract
The future megacity of Faisalabad is of prime interest when considering environmental health because of its bulky population and abundant industrial and anthropogenic sources of coarse particles (PM10) and fine airborne particulate matter (PM2.5). The current study was aimed to investigate the concentration level of PM2.5 and PM10, also the characterization of carbonaceous aerosols including organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC) and total carbon (TC) in PM2.5 and PM10 samples collected from five different sectors (residential, health, commercial, industrial, and vehicular zone). The data presented here are the first of their kind in this sprawling city having industries and agricultural activities side by side. Results of the study revealed that the mass concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 is at an elevated level throughout Faisalabad, with ambient PM2.5 and PM10 points that constantly exceeded the 24-h standards of US-EPA, and National Environment Quality Standards (NEQS) which poses harmful effects on the quality of air and health. The total carbon concentration varied between 21.33 and 206.84 μg/m3, and 26.08 and 211.15 μg/m3 with an average of 119.16 ± 64.91 μg/m3 and 124.71 ± 64.38 μg/m3 for PM2.5 in summer and winter seasons, respectively. For PM10, the concentration of TC varied from 34.52 to 289.21 μg/m3 with an average of 181.50 ± 87.38 μg/m3 (for summer season) and it ranged between 44.04 and 300.02 μg/m3 with an average of 191.04 ± 87.98 μg/m3 (winter season), respectively. No significant difference between particulate concentration and weather parameters was observed. Similarly, results of air quality index (AQI) and pollution index (PI) stated that the air quality of Faisalabad ranges from poor to severely pollute. In terms of AQI, moderate pollution was recorded on sampling sites in the following order; Ittehad Welfare Dispensary > Saleemi Chowk > Kashmir Road > Pepsi Factory, while at Nazria Pakistan Square and Allied Hospital, higher AQI values were recorded. The analysis and results presented in this study can be used by policy-makers to apply rigorous strategies that decrease air pollution and the associated health effects in Faisalabad.
Highlights
In many developing countries, increasing industrialization and overpopulation becomes the reason for escalating air pollution [1]
The concentration of PM2.5 had the following decreasing order in the air samples collected near medical centers of Mian Trust Hospital (38.50 ± 0.30 μg/m3 ), Ittehad Welfare Dispensary (37.35 + 0.45 μg/m3 ), Allied Hospital (36.65 ± 0.27 μg/m3 )
We studied PM10 and PM2.5 and highlighted that atmospheric pollution has become a significant issue as a result of growing industries in the megacity of Faisalabad, leading to the increased risk factors for chronic respiratory diseases in elderly and accelerated loss of lung function in newborns
Summary
In many developing countries, increasing industrialization and overpopulation becomes the reason for escalating air pollution [1]. For the air quality management and epidemiological studies, the assessment of the concentration of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) and its associated toxic constituents is a prerequisite [5] It was consistently confirmed by epidemiological studies that there is a strong association between ambient particulate matter comprising toxic components and cardiovascular- and respiratory-related upsurges in mortality and morbidity, in urban areas [6]. This connection has been revealed to be stronger for PM2.5 rather than for PM10 or total suspended particles since PM2.5 can infiltrate deep into the alveolar areas of the human lungs [6]. In various parts of the world, different monitoring programs on atmospheric PM have been directed which exposed varied instabilities and disproportions among the trace element constituents and particulate matter [8]
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