Trace elements bound to airborne PM10 in a heavily industrialized site nearby Athens: Seasonal patterns, emission sources, health implications

Özet

Trace elements in PM10 samples were studied at Elefsis city, a heavily industrialized area of Greece. Seasonalsamplings were carried out from December 2015 to August 2017. Concentration levels of 18 metal (loid)s weremeasured by Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Al, Ba and Zn were the most abundantelements with mean concentrations ranging between 1000 and 22 000 ng m−3, Fe and Sr between 100 and1000 ng m−3, while Cr, V, Mn, Pb, Cu, Ni, Ga, Rb were detected in traces (< 50 ng m−3) and As, Co, Cd, Cs andTl in ultratrace concentrations (< 2 ng m−3). PM10, Al, Fe, Zn and Ba showed a seasonal variation, with maximum concentrations prevailing during the cold period of the year. The source apportionment tools employed,comprising use of enrichment factors analysis, wind patterns and correlation analysis, revealed that the industrial zone located at the study area constitutes a significant hotspot in terms of trace elements emission in theair (e.g. Cd, Pb), due to the presence of activities including coal and/or fossil fuel combustion, ferrous and nonferrous production, operation of smelters and municipal solid waste incineration. An estimation of the excesslifetime cancer risk due to toxic metals exposure via inhalation, revealed that 2 people out of 30 000 in Elefsisarea are at risk of cancer development.