Seasonal changes and respiratory deposition flux of PM2.5 and PM10 bound metals in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Mohammad Moniruzzaman; Md Aftab Ali Shaikh; Badhan Saha; Saif Shahrukh; Zarin Tasneem Jawaa; Md Firoz Khan

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136794

Seasonal changes and respiratory deposition flux of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ bound metals in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Chemosphere. 2022 Dec;309(Pt 2):136794. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136794. Epub 2022 Oct 8.

Authors

Mohammad Moniruzzaman¹, Md Aftab Ali Shaikh², Badhan Saha¹, Saif Shahrukh³, Zarin Tasneem Jawaa⁴, Md Firoz Khan⁵

Affiliations

¹ Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka, 1205, Bangladesh.
² Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka, 1205, Bangladesh; Department of Chemistry, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh.
³ Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka, 1205, Bangladesh; Department of Soil, Water and Environment, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh.
⁴ Department of Environmental Science and Management, North South University, Dhaka, 1229, Bangladesh.
⁵ Department of Environmental Science and Management, North South University, Dhaka, 1229, Bangladesh; School of Environment Science and Spatial Informatics, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, China. Electronic address: firoz.khan@northsouth.edu.

PMID: 36220426
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136794

Abstract

Due to rapid urbanization and fast economic development, aerosol pollution is a serious environmental issue, especially in Bangladesh. Based on bioaccessibility and respiratory deposition doses (RDD), health risks of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ bound 15 (fifteen) metals were investigated at fourteen urban sites (roadside, marketplace, industrial, and commercial areas). Sampling campaigns were conducted over four seasons (winter, summer, rainy, and autumn) from December 2020 to November 2021. A beta attenuation mass analyzer measured particulate matter concentrations in ambient air. The metals in PM fractions were analyzed by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The airborne trace metals (Cd, As, Zn, Pb, Cr, Cu, Ni) with high enrichment factors indicate anthropogenic sources. The positive matrix factorization (PMF) categorized these elements as originating from automobile exhaust, industrial emissions, and solid waste/coal combustion, whereas the geologic elements came from earth crust/soil dust. During the winter, most of the air mass trajectories arrived from India across the land (82%) and Indo Gangetic Plain (IGP) region to the sampling sites, which may have aided in the transport of pollutants. The deposition flux of metals illustrated that compared to PM_2.5, PM₁₀ deposited a higher amount of metals in the upper airways (81.96%). In comparison, PM_2.5 accumulates more elevated amounts of metals in alveolar regions (11.77%), due to the ability of fine particles to penetrate deeper into the lower pulmonary region. Among age groups, an adult inhales a higher amount of metals than a child, on average 0.103 mg and 0.08 mg of metals per day via PM_2.5, respectively. Acute health impacts are caused by the deposited cancer-causing metals in alveolar tissue, which circulates through the bloodstream and affects several organs. Prolonged exposure to these carcinogenic metals poses significant health risks.

Keywords: Heavy metals; PM(10); PM(2.5); Risk assessment; Seasonal variation; Source apportionment.

MeSH terms

Adult
Aerosols / analysis
Air Pollutants* / analysis
Bangladesh
Cadmium / analysis
Child
Coal / analysis
Dust / analysis
Environmental Monitoring
Humans
Lead / analysis
Particulate Matter / analysis
Seasons
Soil
Solid Waste / analysis
Vehicle Emissions / analysis

Substances

Air Pollutants
Vehicle Emissions
Solid Waste
Cadmium
Lead
Particulate Matter
Dust
Coal
Aerosols
Soil