Ion chromatographic analysis of water-soluble anions in the atmosphere in Amman, Jordan

Abstract

In the summer of 1995, samples of airborne particles were collected in the Amman area of Jordan. Ion chromatography (IC) was used for the determination of anions in these samples. Four anions were identified and quantified in the atmosphere of Amman. The concentration ranges of $F^-$, $CL^-$, $NO_3^-$ and $SO_4^=$ were 0.04 - 3.3, 2.25 - 15.7, 1.96 - 8.39 and 16.88 - 41.33 $mu g/m^3$, respectively. The study shows that $Cl^-$, $NO_3^-$, and $SO_4^=$ are the major anions of air particulate, and the concentration of $SO_4^=$ exceeds that of some other cities worldwide. The total suspended particles (TSP) value was determined to be 66 to 326 $mu g/m^3$