Trends in arsenic levels in PM10 and PM 2.5 aerosol fractions in an industrialized area

García-Aleix, J. R.; Delgado-Saborit, J. M.; Verdú-Martín, G.; Amigó-Descarrega, J. M.; Esteve-Cano, V.

Trends in arsenic levels in PM10 and PM 2.5 aerosol fractions in an industrialized area

2014

García-Aleix, J. R. | Delgado-Saborit, J. M. | Verdú-Martín, G. | Amigó-Descarrega, J. M. | Esteve-Cano, V.

Arsenic is a toxic element that affects human health and is widely distributed in the environment. In the area of study, the main Spanish and second largest European industrial ceramic cluster, the main source of arsenic aerosol is related to the impurities in some boracic minerals used in the ceramic process. Epidemiological studies on cancer occurrence in Spain points out the study region as one with the greater risk of cancer. Concentrations of particulate matter and arsenic content in PM₁₀and PM₂.₅were measured and characterized by ICP-MS in the area of study during the years 2005–2010. Concentrations of PM₁₀and its arsenic content range from 27 to 46 μg/m³and from 0.7 to 6 ng/m³in the industrial area, respectively, and from 25 to 40 μg/m³and from 0.7 to 2.8 ng/m³in the urban area, respectively. Concentrations of PM₂.₅and its arsenic content range from 12 to 14 μg/m³and from 0.5 to 1.4 ng/m³in the urban background area, respectively. Most of the arsenic content is present in the fine fraction, with ratios of PM₂.₅/PM₁₀in the range of 0.65–0.87. PM₁₀, PM₂.₅, and its arsenic content show a sharp decrease in recent years associated with the economic downturn, which severely hit the production of ceramic materials in the area under study. The sharp production decrease due to the economic crisis combined with several technological improvements in recent years such as substitution of boron, which contains As impurities as raw material, have reduced the concentrations of PM₁₀, PM₂.₅, and As in air to an extent that currently meets the existing European regulations.

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