Ambient Concentration of Particulate Matter PM2.5 and Black Carbon: A Comparative Study of Two Different Locations in Dhaka City



Khurshida Begum1, Md. Mehedi Hasan2, Faisal Muhammad1, *, Md. Abdul Mottalib Sarkar2, Md. Safiur Rahman2, Bilkis Ara Begum2, Abul Hasan Baki Billah1, Salamat Khandker1, ASM Mohiuddin3
1 Department of Public Health, Faculty of Allied Sciences, Daffodil International University, Ashulia, Dhaka, Bangladesh
2 Chemistry Division, Atomic Energy Centre, P.O. Box-164, Dhaka, Bangladesh
3 Department of Soil Water & Environment, Faculty of Biological Sciences. University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh

Abstract

Background:

In South Asia, airborne particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) is a significant concern because of its high ambient concentrations and documented impact with respect to morbidity and premature mortality.

Objective:

The study aimed to verify the data obtained from both the SR (semi-residential) and Darussalam monitoring sites.

Methods:

Air Particulate Matter (APM) samples were collected from two locations in Dhaka. One is a semi-residential site (Atomic Energy Centre, Dhaka), and the other is the Darussalam site, Mirpur, Dhaka. In the semi-residential area, data collected between 2011 and 2018 were considered.

Results:

A year-wise comparison of the collected PM2.5 and BC (Black Carbon) samples has been shown. The eight-year average annual mean of PM2.5 mass concentration was above the national ambient air quality limit of 15 (µgm-3) for PM2.5. The mean yearly mass concentration of PM2.5 was much higher in 2011, 2016, and 2017. The semi-residential (SR) (OECD) site was with relatively more minor traffic, but the Darussalam site (CAMS-3) was with high traffic. As a result, BC at the Darussalam site was 32% of the total PM2.5. The BC value was about 25% of the total PM2.5 at the SR site, mainly of anthropogenic origin and predominately from transport-related sources. Due to the meteorological reason and long-range transport during the winter, the PM concentrations remain much higher than the Bangladesh Standard.

Conclusion:

The industrial site is much more polluted than the residential site because high pollutant sources surround the industrial area, like brick kiln industries, chemical industries, and increased traffic.

Keywords: Particulate matter, Air pollution, Black carbon, Chemical industries, Industrial area, Environmental problems.

Abstract Information


Identifiers and Pagination:

Year: 2023
Volume: 17
DOI: 10.2174/18741231-v17-e230403-2022-14

Article History:

Electronic publication date: 03/04/2023
Collection year: 2023

© 2023 Begum et al.

open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.


* Address correspondence to this author at the Faisal Muhammad, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Allied Sciences, Daffodil International University, Ashulia, Dhaka, Bangladesh; E-mail: fokkanya@yahoo.com