Atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in Bloemfontein, South Africa

Indoor and outdoor pollution has become a worldwide problem; it impacts both the environment and human health. Research-driven air pollution assessment studies were done in some of the larger South African cities like Cape Town and Pretoria, but almost none in the Free State province. The purpose of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental analytical chemistry 2024-12, Vol.104 (18), p.6848-6863
Main Authors: van der Westhuizen, Deidré, Howlett-Downing, Chantelle, Molnár, Peter, Boman, Johan, Wichmann, Janine, von Eschwege, Karel G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air pollution
Air quality
air quality standard
Air quality standards
Analytical Chemistry
Analytisk kemi
Arbetsmedicin och miljömedicin
Environmental assessment
Environmental health
Environmental Health and Occupational Health
Environmental Sciences
Fluorescence
Indoor air pollution
Miljövetenskap
Outdoor air quality
Particulate emissions
Particulate matter
PFTE filters
Smoke stain reflectometry
Suspended particulate matter
trace element analysis
Trace elements
X-ray fluorescence
XRF
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Summary:Indoor and outdoor pollution has become a worldwide problem; it impacts both the environment and human health. Research-driven air pollution assessment studies were done in some of the larger South African cities like Cape Town and Pretoria, but almost none in the Free State province. The purpose of the present study was to determine PM 2.5 levels and its chemical components over a period of more than one year in the Free State capital, Bloemfontein. Particulate matter was collected on PFTE filters, which were then analysed gravimetrically, by smoke stain reflectometry and X-ray fluorescence. The average PM 2.5 concentration for the study period was 11 μg/m 3 , which exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) annual guideline limit (5 μg/m 3 ), but not the annual South African National Ambient Air Quality Standard (20 μg/m 3 ). The daily WHO guideline (15 μg/m 3 ) was exceeded on 28 days, but not the daily South African standard (40 μg/m 3 ). The average soot concentration was 1.2 μg/m 3 . The five most abundant trace elements detected in the PM 2.5 filter samples were K, Ca, Si, S and Fe.
ISSN:0306-7319
1029-0397
1029-0397
DOI:10.1080/03067319.2022.2154664