Identifying urban emission sources and their contribution to the oxidative potential of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in Kuwait

Mohammad Aldekheel; Ramin Tohidi; Ali Al-Hemoud; Fahad Alkudari; Vishal Verma; P S Ganesh Subramanian; Constantinos Sioutas

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123165

Identifying urban emission sources and their contribution to the oxidative potential of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) in Kuwait

Environ Pollut. 2024 Feb 15:343:123165. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123165. Epub 2023 Dec 15.

Authors

Mohammad Aldekheel¹, Ramin Tohidi², Ali Al-Hemoud³, Fahad Alkudari⁴, Vishal Verma⁵, P S Ganesh Subramanian⁵, Constantinos Sioutas⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA; Department of Civil Engineering, Kuwait University, P.O Box 5969, Safat, 13060, Kuwait.
² Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
³ Environment and Life Sciences Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 24885, Safat, 13109, Kuwait.
⁴ Public Administration of Experts, Ministry of Justice, P.O. Box 6, Safat, 12008, Kuwait.
⁵ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
⁶ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA. Electronic address: sioutas@usc.edu.

PMID: 38103716
PMCID: PMC10923010 (available on 2025-02-15)
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123165

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the seasonal variations, chemical composition, sources, and oxidative potential of ambient PM_2.5 (particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 μm) in Kuwait City. The sampling campaign was conducted within the premises of Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research from June 2022 to May 2023, covering different seasons throughout the year. The personal cascade impactor sampler (PCIS) operated at flow rate of 9 L/min was employed to collect weekly PM_2.5 samples on PTFE and quarts filters. These collected samples were analyzed for carbonaceous species (i.e., elemental and organic carbon), metals and transition elements, inorganic ions, and DTT (dithiothreitol) redox activity. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) and multi-linear regression (MLR) were used to identify the predominant emission sources and their percentage contribution to the redox activity of PM_2.5 in Kuwait. The results of this study highlighted that the annual-averaged ambient PM_2.5 mass concentrations in Kuwait (59.9 μg/m³) substantially exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline of 10 μg/m³. Additionally, the summer season displayed the highest PM_2.5 mass concentration (75.2 μg/m³) compared to other seasons, primarily due to frequent dust events exacerbated by high-speed winds. The PCA identified four primary PM_2.5 sources: mineral dust, fossil fuel combustion, road traffic, and secondary aerosols. The mineral dust was found to be the predominant source, contributing 36.1% to the PM_2.5 mass, followed by fossil fuel combustion and traffic emissions with contributions of 23.7% and 20.3%, respectively. The findings of MLR revealed that road traffic was the most significant contributor to PM_2.5 oxidative potential, accounting for 47% of the total DTT activity. In conclusion, this comprehensive investigation provides essential insights into the sources and health implications of PM_2.5 in Kuwait, underscoring the critical need for effective air quality management strategies to mitigate the impacts of particulate pollution in the region.

Keywords: Dust; Kuwait; Oxidative potential; Particulate matter; Source apportionment.

MeSH terms

Aerosols / analysis
Air Pollutants* / analysis
Coal / analysis
Dust / analysis
Environmental Monitoring / methods
Kuwait
Minerals / analysis
Oxidation-Reduction
Oxidative Stress
Particulate Matter* / analysis
Seasons
Vehicle Emissions / analysis

Substances

Particulate Matter
Air Pollutants
Vehicle Emissions
Dust
Coal
Aerosols
Minerals

Grants and funding

P01 AG055367/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States