Chemical characterization of urban PM10 in the Tropical Andes

Özet

Complex inhalable particles have become one of the main causes to trigger health problems worldwide. Whilethe level of concern depends on the chemical composition of these particles, some regions are poorly studied,particularly, the Andes. In this work, the chemical characterization of atmospheric PM10filter samples, collectedbetween January and October of 2017, was carried out for thefirst time in the world's highest capital, Quito,Ecuador. This study investigates PM10relation with meteorological variables and criteria pollutants. AveragePM10concentrations ranged from 24.9μgm−3to 26.2μgm−3, with some alarming peaks during the episodes offires and New Year's celebration. The major elements at study sites were Ca, Na, S, Mg, P, K, Fe, Si and Al, whilethe major water-soluble ion was SO42−. Meteorology plays an important role at this complex terrain city. Factoranalysis showed natural dust and soil resuspension as the main source of particulate matter. Moreover, two lessurbanized sites showed evidence of industrial activities or airport emissions, while the central city site showed avery strong signal of traffic-related pollution. These results are compared with representative cities around theworld. As is the case in developing countries, low-quality diesel fuel is recognized for emitting large amounts ofheavy metals, resulting in higher levels of those tracers in trafficflow areas. This work demonstrates the pro-blems facing a midsize city, such as the lack of stricter regulations and, thus compromised air quality. This mayimply serious respiratory and cardiovascular health effects