Airborne fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) at industrial, high- and low-density residential sites in a Nigerian megacity

Abstract

Airborne particulate matter PM_2.5 was collected in an industrial, a low-density, and a high-density residential area of Lagos from December 2010 to November 2011, and elemental composition was determined by proton-induced X-ray emission. Across the months, mass concentrations ranged from 13 to 237 µg m⁻³, exceeding the World Health Organization guideline value of 10 µg m⁻³. Data on 24 elements were obtained, with maximum values during Harmattan season months; source identification and apportionment studies by positive matrix factorization suggested that petroleum oil combustion (70%) was the major source of PM_2.5 and could pose a great hazard to Lagos receptors.

Keywords:

• Airborne PM2.5
• air pollution
• elemental composition
• source apportionment
• receptors

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to the management of Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) for the mobility support during field works. Authors appreciate the International Atomic Energy Agency (I.A.E.A.) Vienna Austria, for NIR 12022 Postgraduate Fellowship granted to Ezeh G.C. We also acknowledge the assistance of Dr. Chiari Massimo of Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Firenze and I.N.F.N., Via Sansone 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy, for facilitating NIR 12022 programme at Firenze.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.