Inorganic chemical composition of atmospheric particulate matter around industrial sites in northern Lebanon

Abstract

Atmospheric Total Suspended Particles (TSP) were sampled from 16 different points in a coastal industrial region in North Lebanon, between April and October 2008. The samples were analyzed for water soluble ions and metals concentrations using Ion Chromatography (I.C.) and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results showed possible natural contribution to aerosols through sea salt emissions (Na/Cl-/Mg), and crustal sources (K/Fe/Ti). However, ions such as NH4+, NO3-, and SO42- were attributed to secondary aerosols. Finally, the result of the enrichment factor analysis showed that vehicles emissions (Zn/Cu/Pb/Ni/V/Cr), quarries (Ca), and phosphate rocks impurities (Zn/Cd/Cu/Pb) were the most important anthropogenic contributions to the metals load in the aerosols.