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Characterization of PM10 and PM2.5 and associated heavy metals at the crossroads and urban background site in Zabrze, Upper Silesia, Poland, during the smog episodes

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Abstract

The concentrations of seven heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Pb) associated with PM10 and PM2.5 at the crossroads and the background sites have been studied in Zabrze, Poland, during smog episodes. Although the background level was unusually elevated due to both high particulate emission from the industrial and municipal sources and smog favorable meteorological conditions, significant increase of the concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 as well as associated heavy metals in the roadside air compared to the urban background has been documented. The average daily difference between the roadside and corresponding urban background aerosol concentration was equal to 39.5 μg m − 3 for PM10 and 41.2 μg m − 3 for PM2.5. The highest levels of the studied metals in Zabrze appeared for iron carried by PM10 particles: 1,706 (background) and 28,557 ng m − 3 (crossroads). The lowest concentration level (in PM10) has been found for cadmium: 7 and 77 ng m − 3 in the background and crossroads site, respectively. Also the concentrations of heavy metals carried by the fine particles (PM2.5) were very high in Zabrze during the smog episodes. Concentrations of all studied metals associated with PM10 increased at the roadside compared to the background about ten times (one order) while metals contained in PM2.5 showed two to three times elevated concentrations (except Fe—five times and Cr—no increase).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Department of Air Protection, Silesian University of Technology, 2 Akademicka St., 44-100, Gliwice, Poland

    Jozef S. Pastuszka, Wioletta Rogula-Kozłowska & Elwira Zajusz-Zubek

  2. Institute of Environmental Engineering, Polish Academy of Sciences, 34 M.Skłodowska-Curie St., 41-890, Zabrze, Poland

    Wioletta Rogula-Kozłowska

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  1. Jozef S. Pastuszka
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  2. Wioletta Rogula-Kozłowska
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Correspondence to Jozef S. Pastuszka.

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Pastuszka, J.S., Rogula-Kozłowska, W. & Zajusz-Zubek, E. Characterization of PM10 and PM2.5 and associated heavy metals at the crossroads and urban background site in Zabrze, Upper Silesia, Poland, during the smog episodes. Environ Monit Assess 168, 613–627 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-009-1138-8

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