Mobile Aerosol Measurement in the Eastern Mediterranean - A Utilization of Portable Instruments

ABSTRACT

Air pollution research and reports have been limited in the Middle East, especially in Jordan with respect to aerosol particle number concentrations. In this study, we utilized a simple “mobile setup” to measure, for the first time, the spatial variation of aerosol concentrations in Eastern Mediterranean. The mobile setup consisted of portable aerosol instruments to measure particle number concentrations (cut off sizes 0.01, 0.02, 0.3, 0.5, 1, 2.5, 5, and 10 µm), particle mass concentrations (PM₁, PM_2.5, and PM₁₀), and black carbon concentration all situated on the back seat of a sedan car. The car was driven with open windows to ensure sufficient cabin air ventilation for reliable outdoor aerosol sampling. Although the measurement campaign was two days long, but it provided preliminary information about aerosols concentrations over a large spatial scale that covered more than three quarters of Jordan. We should keep in mind that the presented concentrations reflect on road conditions. The submicron particle concentrations were the highest in the urban locations (e.g., Amman and Zarqa) and inside cities with heavy duty vehicles activities (e.g., Azraq). The highest micron particle concentrations were observed in the southern part of the country and in places close to the desert area (e.g., Wadi Rum and Wadi Araba). The average submicron concentration was 4.9 × 10³ – 120 × 10³ cm^–3 (5.7–86.7 µg m^–3) whereas the average micron particle concentration was 1–11 cm^–3 (8–150 µg m^–3, assume ρ_p = 1 g cm^–3). The main road passing through Jafr in the eastern part of Jordan exhibited submicron concentration as low as 800 cm^–3. The PM₁₀ concentration consisted of about 40–75% as PM₁. The black carbon (BC) concentration variation was in good agreement with the PM1 as well as the submicron particle number concentration.