Chemical Characterization and Sources Identification of PM10 Aerosols in an Industrial Area
Abstract
Daily PM10 samples were collected on a rooftop at Aktobe city, the industrial hub of Western Kazakhstan, to characterize, investigate the morphological composition, and identify possible sources. The mean (SD) of 50.2 (38.9) µg/m3 for PM10 in fall was 4 times statistically significantly higher than in winter 13.2 (11.9) µg/m3. The ionic constituents show that Ca2+, K+, Mg2+, and SO42– were statistically significantly higher in fall than in winter, possibly due to higher humidity and wet deposition. Meanwhile, high wind speed recorded in winter promoted good dispersion and a shorter contact time for gas-liquid reactions, resulting in a lower SO42– concentration than in fall. A high amount of NO3− in winter showed a significant correlation for all cations, except for Na+. Trace metal analyses showed that Fe exhibited the highest average concentrations of 1287.93 ng/m3 in fall, while Al had the highest mean concentration of 207.61 ng/m3 in winter. Pollutant sources were found in the E-SE, SE-S, and SW-W directions within 6-8 m/s wind speed for several metals indicating distant sources. The study shows several potential sources of PM10 and the need to regularly monitor pollutant concentrations and emission trends over time to assess the air quality of Aktobe city.