Evaluation of airborne particulate matter pollution in Kenitra City, Morocco

  • Mounia Tahri National Center of Energy, Sciences and Nuclear Techniques (CNESTEN), Rabat, Morocco
  • Moussa Bounakhla National Center of Energy, Sciences and Nuclear Techniques (CNESTEN), Rabat, Morocco
  • Mustapha Zghaïd Faculty of Sciences, University Moulay Ismail, Meknes, Morocco
  • Yves Noack CEREGE, Aix-Marseille University, CNRS IRD, CdF - BP 80 - 13545 Aix en Provence Cedex 4, France
  • Fouad Benyaïch Faculty of Sciences, University Moulay Ismail, Meknes, Morocco
  • Abdelfettah Benchrif National Center of Energy, Sciences and Nuclear Techniques (CNESTEN), Rabat, Morocco
Keywords: X-ray fluorescence, cluster analysis, principal component analysis

Abstract

Two size fractions of atmospheric particulate matter < 2.5 µm and 2.5-10 µm were collected in Kenitra City from February 2007 to February 2008. The sampling was done using a Gent Stacked sampler on nuclepore polycarbonate filters and the collected filters were analyzed using Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence (TXRF) and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). The particulate matter trends show higher concentrations during the summer as compared to other seasons. The highest concentrations were obtained for Ca in coarse particles and Fe for fine particles. However, the lowest concentrations were observed for Cd in both particulate sizes. The principal component analysis (PCA) based on multivariate study enabled the identification of soil, road dust and traffic emissions as common sources for coarse and fine particles.

Author Biographies

Mounia Tahri, National Center of Energy, Sciences and Nuclear Techniques (CNESTEN), Rabat, Morocco
DASTE Department, Unity of Pollution and Geochemistry, Rabat, Morocco
Moussa Bounakhla, National Center of Energy, Sciences and Nuclear Techniques (CNESTEN), Rabat, Morocco
DASTE Department, Unity of Pollution and Geochemistry, Rabat, Morocco
Mustapha Zghaïd, Faculty of Sciences, University Moulay Ismail, Meknes, Morocco
Department of Physics, Meknes, Morocco
Fouad Benyaïch, Faculty of Sciences, University Moulay Ismail, Meknes, Morocco
Department of Physics
Abdelfettah Benchrif, National Center of Energy, Sciences and Nuclear Techniques (CNESTEN), Rabat, Morocco
Department, Unity of Pollution and Geochemistry, Rabat, Morocco
Published
25/04/2013
Issue
Vol. 8 No. 1 (2013)
Section
Papers

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