Environmental and health risks of potentially toxic elements in ambient PM10in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

• Source apportionment and environmental and risk assessments of ambient PM10 collected from three locations in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, were investigated. These estimations were based on the concentrations of ambient PM10 mass and potentially toxic elements. The annual ambient PM10 concentration, 120 +/- 40, 180 +/- 170, and 150 +/- 230 mu g/m(3) at three locations respectively, exceeds the Saudi Arabia annual air quality limit (80 mu g/m(3)). The highest 24-h PM10 concentrations were measured at a location influenced by traffic and industries (1800 mu g/m(3)) and at a seaside location (2000 mu g/m(3)) while the lowest 24-h PM10 concentration was measured at a university campus site (50 mu g/m(3)). The elements As, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn, Te, V, and Zn were included in the source apportionment analysis using positive matrix factorization. The major sources identified were crustal material and windblown dust (27-28%), a mix of natural and anthropogenic sources (20-26%), combustion and traffic (18-21%), industrial activities (14-20%), and heavy metal industry (11-15%). Several environmental risk indices show a serious environmental pollution problem in Jeddah city due to the high concentrations of ambient PM10 and their elemental content. A non-carcinogenic health risk assessment showed that Cd and Mn constituted a risk for children and adults and inhalation was the main pathway for exposure. No carcinogenic risks were found but Cd, Co, and Ni had CR values above the safe limit of 10(-6).

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Ambient PM10

Source apportionment

Jeddah

Risk assessment

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)