Adverse Effects of Exposure to Fine Particulate Matters and Ozone on Gestational Hypertension

Gestational hypertension(GH)is a common complication during pregnancy.GH is regarded as a potential public health challenge for pregnant women and infants.Limited evidence has linked ambient air pollution to an increased GH risk.However,most of the studies were conducted in developed countries,with inconsistent results obtained.The present study was performed to explore whether exposure to particulate matters with an aerodynamic diameter≤2.5(PM2.5)and ozone(O3)was related to elevated odds of GH in a Chinese population.This population-based cohort study involved 38115 pregnant women in Wuhan,China.All information was collected from the Wuhan Maternal and Child Health Management Information System,using standardized quality control.The daily air pollutant data for PM2.5 and O3 were obtained from the 20 monitoring stations of the Wuhan Environmental Monitoring Center during 2014.The nearest monitor approach was applied to individual exposure assessment of PM2.5 and O3 for each participant.After adjusting for major confounders and other air pollutants,a 10μg/m^3 increase in PM25 and O3 concentrations was found to correlate to a 1.14-fold[95%confidence interval(95%CI):1.09,1.20]and a 1.05-fold(95%CI:1.02,1.07)increase in GH risk,respectively.Additionally,stronger relationships between GH risk and PM25 and O3 exposure were observed in women who conceived in winter and summer,respectively.These findings suggest that air pollutants may contribute to the development of GH.

Distribution and its mechanism of suspended particulate matters in the southern Huanghai Sea and the East China Sea in summer

Water temperature,turbidity,chlorophyll-a and suspended sediment concentration （SSC） were investigated at 61 stations of eight sections in the southern Huanghai Sea （HS） and the East China Sea （ECS） during the summer （28 June to 15 July） of 2006.The horizontal distribution of suspended parti culate matter （SPM） displayed a high concentration inshore and a low value offshore.The maximum value can reach 10.4 mg/dm 3,which can be found at the Changjiang River mouth.For the same site,the SSC was generally higher at the bottom than on the surface.In the vertical direction,distribution characteristics of turbidity can be divided into two types：in the southern HS high values at the bottom while low values on the surface,and in the ECS high values inshore with low values offshore.The thermocline in the HS and the Taiwan Warm Current in the ECS could be important factors preventing the SPM from diffusing upward and seaward.Even the typhoon Ewiniar was not able to work on the major sediment transport under the thermocline during the observation.

Study of Spectral Response Characteristics of Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus) to Particulate Matters Based on Hyper-Spectral Technique

Haze is mainly caused by the suspended particulate matters in the air,of which the particulate matters pollution harms leaf vegetables.In this paper,oilseed rapes at four different growing periods were investigated in a simulated particulate pollution environment.In combination of hyper-spectral technology and micro examination,the response of hyper-spectral characteristics of the leaf to particulate matters was investigated in-depth.The hyperspectral,chlorophyll content,net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance of leaf were obtained.The deposition and adsorption of particulate matters on the leaf were observed by Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope(ESEM).Normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI),modified red edge normalized(mNDVI705)and modified red edge simple ratio index(mSR705)were selected as characteristic parameters and the range of 510 nm~620 nm as the sensitive band.16 methods were used to establish the physiological information inversion model.The main results were as follows:Under the influence of particulate matters,the spectral reflectance decreased as a whole.With the increase of leaf age,the phenomenon of blue shift aggravated.The amplitude of yellow and blue edge decreased with overall decreasing vegetation indices.The furrows and irregular band protrusions in leaves were favorable for keeping particulate matters.With longer affecting time and more deposition of particle matters on the leaf,the stomatal opening became smaller.After comparing,principal component regression(PCR)+multiple scatter correction(MSC)+second derivative(SD)+Savitzky-Golay smooth(SG),and partial least square(PLS)+multiple scatter correction(MSC)+first derivative(FD)+Savitzky-Golay smooth(SG)were determined the best method to establish the inversion model of chlorophyll content and net photosynthetic rate respectively.This study may bring novel ideas for the diagnosis and analysis of the physiological response of leaf vegetables under particulate matters pollution using hyper-spectral technology.

Analysis of trace elements in air particulate matters by non-suppressed ion chromatography

The application of non-suppressed ion chromatography for monitoring of trace elements in air particulate matter was studied in the present investigation. The results indicate that the use of microwave acid digestion method is superior in comparison with the conventional thermal acid digestion method as it leads to higher recovery, better reproducibility, lower volatility loss, better protection against environmental contamination and much less digestion time (5 minutes vs. 24 hours). The use of eluent as extractant is shown to reduce the water dip problem in the chro-matogram. The addition of chelating agent in the eluent coupled with UV detection is shown to provide satisfactory chromatographic separation and good sensitivity for the analysis of transition metals present in the air particulate matter. Using the U.S. National Bureau of Standards Reference Material 1648 Urban Particulate Matter as standard for checking, the analytical procedure is shown to give good recovery and reproducibility for the detection of the following cations and anions in air particulate matter: Fe2 Cu, Mn, Pb, Zn, Mg, Na, HN4+, Cl-, NO3- and SO42-. Field test was also performed to check the applicability of the method and the results obtained were discussed in the present paper.

Optimizing air purification for household particulate matters using sensor-based and time-based intervention strategies

Filtration efficiency of portable air cleaner(PAC)is affected by resident perceptions and adherences to when and how to operate the PAC.Incorporating PAC with smart control and sensor technology holds the promise to effectively reduce indoor air pollutants.This study aims to evaluate the efficiency of a PAC at removing indoor fine particulate matters(PM_(2.5))exposure under two automated operation settings:(1)a time-based mode in which the operation time is determined based on perceived time periods of indoor pollution by residents;(2)a sensor-based mode in which an air sensor monitor is used to determine the PAC based on the actual PM_(2.5) level against the indoor air quality guideline.The study was conducted in a residential room for 55 days with a rolling setting on PAC(no filtration,sensor-based,time-based fil-trations)and a continuous measurement of PM_(2.5).We found that the PAC operated with sensor-based mode removed PM_(2.5) concentrations by 47%and prolonged clean air(<35 μg/m^(3))period by 23%compared to the purifications with time-based mode which reduced PM_(2.5) by 29%and increased clean air period by 13%.The sensor-based filtration identified indoor pollution episodes that are hardly detected by personal perceptions.Our study findings support an automated sensor-based approach to optimize the use of PAC for effectively reducing indoor PM_(2.5) exposure.

Ethyl acetate fraction of Sargassum pallidum extract attenuates particulate matter-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in keratinocytes and zebrafish

Objective:To evaluate the effect of the ethyl acetate fraction derived from Sargassum pallidum extract against particulate matter(PM)-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in HaCaT cells and zebrafish.Methods:HaCaT cells and zebrafish were used to evaluate the protective effects of the ethyl acetate fraction of Sargassum pallidum extract against PM-induced oxidative stress and inflammation.The production of nitric oxide(NO),intracellular ROS,prostaglandin E_(2)(PGE_(2)),and pro-inflammatory cytokines,and the expression levels of COX-2,iNOS,and NF-κB were evaluated in PM-induced HaCaT cells.Furthermore,the levels of ROS,NO,and lipid peroxidation were assessed in the PM-exposed zebrafish model.Results:The ethyl acetate fraction of Sargassum pallidum extract significantly decreased the production of NO,intracellular ROS,and PGE_(2) in PM-induced HaCaT cells.In addition,the fraction markedly suppressed the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inhibited the expression levels of COX-2,iNOS,and NF-κB.Furthermore,it displayed remarkable protective effects against PM-induced inflammatory response and oxidative stress,represented by the reduction of NO,ROS,and lipid peroxidation in zebrafish.Conclusions:The ethyl acetate fraction of Sargassum pallidum extract exhibits a protective effect against PM-induced oxidative stress and inflammation both in vitro and in vivo and has the potential as a candidate for the development of pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical products.

Modeling and Characterization of Fine Particulate Matter Dynamics in Bujumbura Using Low-Cost Sensors

Air pollution is a result of multiple sources including both natural and anthropogenic activities. The rapid urbanization of the cities such as Bujumbura, economic capital of Burundi, is one of these factors. The very first characterization of the spatio-temporal variability of PM2.5 in Bujumbura and the forecasting of PM2.5 concentration have been conducted in this paper using data collected during a year, from August 2022 to August 2023, by low-cost sensors installed in Bujumbura city. For each commune, an hourly, daily and seasonal analysis was carried out and the results showed that the mass concentrations of PM2.5 in the three municipalities differ from one commune to another. The average hourly and annual PM2.5 concentrations exceed the World Health Organization standards. The range is between 28.3 and 35.0 μg/m3. In order to make a prediction of PM2.5 concentration, an investigation of Recurrent Neural Networks with Long Short-Term Memory has been undertaken.

Distribution of heavy metals in the water column,suspended particulate matters and the sediment under hydrodynamic conditions using an annular flume

Sediment resuspension plays an important role in the transport and fate of heavy metals in the aquatic environment. In the present study, the release and binding forms of Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb under hydrodynamic conditions were investigated using an annular flume. Two sediments located at YLZ and GBD from Liangshui River, Beijing were resuspended for 10 hr at 0.159 and 0.267 m/see, respectively. The concentrations of suspended particulate matters of YLZ were higher than those of GBD during resuspension, indicating that the former sediment is more sensitive to the velocity. Cr in the dissolved phase stayed nearly constant at about 2.25 and 1.84 I^g/L for YLZ and GBD, respectively, due to the high percentage of its stable binding fractions in both sediments, while Cu, Zn, and Pb showed a fast release in the initial period of time. However, their concentrations in SPM generally decreased with time and were higher at the lower velocity of 0.159 m/see, which resulted from the entrainment and depressing effect of larger size particles with lower heavy metal content, commonly referred to as the ＂particle concentration effect＂. In addition, the binding form and heavy metal fractions were also found to vary during the resuspension event. A decrease in the sulphide/organic matters bounded form in GBD sediment was observed, whereas no visible changes were perceived in YLZ site samples. This phenomenon is due to the oxidation of heavy metal-sulphide binding forms, which originated from its high acid volatile sulphide content in GBD sediment.

Transport of airborne particulate matters originating from Mentougou, Beijing, China

In this study, a coupled regional air quality modeling system is applied to investigate the time spatial variations in airborne particulate matters （PM10）, originating from Mentougou to Beijing municipal area in the period of April 1-7, 2004, and the influences of complex terrain and meteorological conditions upon boundary layer structure and PM10 concentration distributions. An intercomparison of the performance with CALPUFF against the observed data is presented and an examination of scatter plots is provided. The statistics show that the correlation coefficient and STD between the modeled and observed data are 0.86 and 0.03, respectively. Analysis of model results illustrates that the pollutants emitted from Mentougou can be transported to Beijing municipal area along certain transport pathways, and PM10 concentration distributions show heterogeneity characteristics. Contributions of the Mentougou sources to the PM10 concentrations in Beijing municipal area are up to 0.1-15 μg/m^3.

Distribution and chemical speciation of arsenic in different sized atmospheric particulate matters

The distribution and chemical speciation of arsenic(As)in different sized atmospheric particulate matters(PMs),including total suspended particles(TSP),PM_(10),and PM_(2.5),collected from Baoding,China were analyzed.The average total mass concentrations of As in TSP,PM_(10),and PM_(2.5)were 31.5,35.3,and 54.1μg/g,respectively,with an order of PM_(2.5)>PM_(10)>TSP,revealing that As is prone to accumulate on fine particles.Due to the divergent toxicities of different As species,speciation analysis of As in PMs is further conducted.Most of previous studies mainly focused on inorganic arsenite(iAs^(Ⅲ)),inorganic arsenate(iAs^(Ⅴ)),monomethylarsonate(MMA),and dimethylarsinate(DMA)in PMs,while the identification and sensitive quantification of trimethylarsine oxide(TMAO)were rarely reported.In this study,a high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry system was optimized for As speciation including TMAO in PMs.An anion exchange column was used to separate MMA,DMA and iAs^(Ⅴ),while a cation exchange column to separate TMAO and iAs^(Ⅲ).Results showed that iAs^(Ⅴ) was the dominate component in all the samples,corresponding to a portion of 79.2%±9.3%of the total extractable species,while iAs^(Ⅲ),TMAO and DMA made up the remaining 21%.Our study demonstrated that iAs^(Ⅲ) accounted for about 14.4%±11.4%of the total extracted species,with an average concentration of 1.7±1.6 ng/m^(3).It is worth noting that TMAO was widely present in the samples(84 out of 97 samples),which supported the assumption that TMAO was ubiquitous in atmospheric particles.

Mass spectral chemical fingerprints reveal the molecular dependence of exhaust particulate matters on engine speeds

Particulate matters（PMs） emitted by automobile exhaust contribute to a significant fraction of the global PMs. Extractive atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry（EAPCI-MS） was developed to explore the molecular dependence of PMs collected from exhaust gases produced at different vehicle engine speeds. The mass spectral fingerprints of the organic compounds embedded in differentially sized PMs（e.g., 0.22–0.45, 0.45–1.00, 1.00–2.00, 2.00–3.00, 3.00–5.00, and 5.00–10.00 μm） generated at different engine speeds（e.g., 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, and 3000 r/min） were chemically profiled in the mass range of mass to charge ratio（m/z） 50–800. Organic compounds,including alcohols, aldehydes, and esters, were detected in all the PMs tested, with varied concentration levels for each individual PM sample. At relatively low engine speeds（≤ 1500 r/min）, the total amount of organic species embedded in PMs of 0.22–1.00 μm was greater than in PMs of other sizes, while more organic species were found in PMs of5.00–10.00 μm at high engine speeds（≥ 3000 r/min）, indicating that the organic compounds distributed in different sizes of PMs strongly correlated with the engine speed. The experimental data showed that the EAPCI-MS technique enables molecular characterization of PMs in exhaust, revealing the chemical dependence of PMs on the engine speeds（i.e., the combustion conditions） of automobiles.

Pollution characteristics of particulate matters emitted from outdoor barbecue cooking in urban Jinan in eastern China

To understand the pollution characteristics of particulate matter emitted from outdoor barbecue conking in eastern China, measurements of the PM2.5 mass concentration, the number concentration of particles with a diameter of 0.01 to 1.0 pm, and the particle size distribution from 0.3 to 25 μm were carried out at seven barbecue restaurants in urban Jinan. The average PM2.5 mass concentration and sub-micron particle number concentrations at a distance of 1 m from the grills were 250 to 1083μtg/m-3 and 0.90 × 105 to 2.23 × 105 cm 3 respectively, which were much higher than those in the ambient air of the urban area. Compared to the ambient atmosphere, barbecue cooking emitted very high levels of particles with a larger increase in the concentrations of super-micron particles than that of sub-micron particles. The super-micron particle number concentrations at the barbecue restaurants were 10 to I O0 times higher than those observed in the ambient urban atmosphere. The barbecue smoke had a significant effect on the particle concentrations in the surrctindng region.. Both mass and number concentrations of particles exhibited maximum values immediately-near the barbecue grills and often reached a peak at a distance of 10 to 15 m. The removal efficiency of a range hood for the cooking particles was tested in an indoor kitchen. The range hood effectively cleaned the particulate matter pollution caused by cooking with a removal efficiency larger than 80%, Therefore, the use of a range hood is recommended for outdoor barbecue restaurants coupled with a smoke purifier to clean the emitted high concentrations of particles.

Human Health Risks from Exposure to Heavy Metals of Suspended Particulate Matter around the Tongon Gold Mine, Côte d’Ivoire

The Tongon mine, the largest gold mine in C?te d’Ivoire, has been in operation since April 2010. However, to our knowledge to date, no study has been conducted on metallic contamination in suspended particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) where there is a lack of information on the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk to human health associated with the exposure of populations in the Tongon area to these pollutants. The general objective of this study is to evaluate the level of contamination of PM10;PM2.5 by heavy metals and their impact on the health of populations exposed to these pollutants in the Tongon gold mine area. The sampling and measurement of suspended particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) were done using a MiniVol TAS passive air sampler. Heavy metal concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (Nex ION 2000 ICP-MS, USA). The results indicate that the average concentrations of suspended particles (PM2.5 and PM10) obtained are all above the recommended exposure limits. In addition, among the heavy metals contained in the suspended particles, the concentrations of arsenic and nickel are high and all above the standard limit values. The assessment of the health risks related to the inhalation of PM10 particles reveals that their inhalation over a long period could cause a carcinogenic risk.

Source profiles of particulate organic matters emitted from cereal straw burnings

Cereal straw is one of the most abundant biomass burned in China but its contribution to fine particulates is not adequately understood. In this study, three main kinds of cereal straws were collected from five grain producing areas in China. Fine particulate matters （PMzs） from the cereal straws subjected to control burnings, both under smoldering and flaming status, were sampled by using a custom made dilution chamber and sampling system in the laboratory. Element carbon （EC） and organic carbon （OC） was analyzed. 141 compounds of organic matters were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrum （GC-MS）. Source profiles of particulate organic matters emitted from cereal straw burnings were obtained. The results indicated that organic matters contribute a large fraction in fine particulate matters. Levoglucosan had the highest contributions with averagely 4.5% in mass of fine particulates and can be considered as the tracer of biomass burnings. Methyloxylated phenols from lignin degradation also had high concentrations in PM2.5, and contained approximately equal amounts of guaiacyl and syringyl compounds. 13-Sitostrol also made up relatively a large fraction of PMz5 compared with the other sterols （0.18%-0.63% of the total fine particle mass）. Normal alkanes, PAHs, fatty acids, as well as normal alkanols had relatively lower concentrations compared with the compounds mentioned above. Carbon preference index （CPI） of normal alkanes and alkanoic acids showed characteristics of biogenic fuel burnings. Burning status significantly influenced the formations of EC and PAHs. The differences between the emission profiles of straw and wood combustions were displayed by the fingerprint compounds, which may be used to identify the contributions between wood and straw burnings in source apportionment researches.

Quantifying the characteristics of particulate matters captured by urban plants using an automatic approach

It is widely accepted that urban plant leaves can capture airborne particles. Previous studies on the particle capture capacity of plant leaves have mostly focused on particle mass and/or size distribution. Fewer studies, however, have examined the particle density, and the size and shape characteristics of particles, which may have important implications for evaluating the particle capture efficiency of plants, and identifying the particle sources. In addition, the role of different vegetation types is as yet unclear. Here, we chose three species of different vegetation types, and firstly applied an object-based classification approach to automatically identify the particles from scanning electron microscope（SEM）micrographs. We then quantified the particle capture efficiency, and the major sources of particles were identified. We found（1） Rosa xanthina Lindl（shrub species） had greater retention efficiency than Broussonetia papyrifera（broadleaf species） and Pinus bungeana Zucc.（coniferous species）, in terms of particle number and particle area cover.（2） 97.9% of the identified particles had diameter ≤10 μm, and 67.1% of them had diameter ≤2.5 μm. 89.8% of the particles had smooth boundaries, with 23.4% of them being nearly spherical.（3） 32.4%–74.1% of the particles were generated from bare soil and construction activities, and 15.5%–23.0% were mainly from vehicle exhaust and cooking fumes.

Ambient Fine Particulate Matter Exposure and Blood Pressure:Evidence from a Large Chinese Multiple Follow-Up Study

Objective This study aimed to investigate the association of ambient PM_(2.5)exposure with blood pressure(BP)at the population level in China.Methods A total of 14,080 participants who had at least two valid blood pressure records were selected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey during 2011–2015.Their long-term PM_(2.5)exposure was assessed at the geographical level,on the basis of a regular 0.1°×0.1°grid over China.A mixed-effects regression model was used to assess associations.Results Each decrease of 10μg/m^(3)in the 1 year-mean PM_(2.5)concentration(FPM1Y)was associated with a decrease of 1.24[95%confidence interval(CI):0.84–1.64]mmHg systolic BP(SBP)and 0.50(95%CI:0.25–0.75)mmHg diastolic BP(DBP),respectively.A robust association was observed between the long-term decrease in PM_(2.5)and decreased BP in the middle-aged and older population.Using a generalized additive mixed model,we further found that SBP increased nonlinearly overall with FPM1Y but in an approximately linear range when the FPM1Y concentration was<70μg/m^(3);In contrast,DBP increased approximately linearly without a clear threshold.Conclusion Efficient control of PM_(2.5)air pollution may promote vascular health in China.Our study provides robust scientific support for making the related air pollution control policies.

Morphology,Nanostructure,and Oxidation Reactivity of Particulate Matter Emitted by Diesel Blending with Various Aromatics

This study aims to analyze the influence of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon(PAH)content in diesel on the physical and chemical properties of diesel soot particles.Four diesel fuels with different PAH content were tested on a 11.6 L direct-injection diesel engine.The raw particulate matter(PM)before the after-treatment devices was collected using the thermophoresis sampling system and the filter sampling system.A transmission electron microscope and Raman spectrometer are used to analyze the physical properties of the soot particles,including morphology,primary particle size distribution,and graphitization degree.A Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and thermogravimetric analyzer are used to characterize the surface chemical composition and oxidation reactivity of soot particles,respectively.The results show that as the PAH content in the fuel decreases,the size of the primary soot particles decreases from 29.58 to 26.70 nm.The graphitization degree of soot particles first increases and then decreases,and the relative content of the aliphatic hydrocarbon functional groups of soot particles first decreases and then increases.The T_(10),T_(50),and T_(90) of soot from high-PAH fuel are 505.3,589.3,and 623.5℃,while those from low-PAH fuel are 480.1,557.5,and 599.2℃,respectively.This indicates that exhaust PM generated by the low-PAH fuel has poor oxidation reactivity.However,as the PAH content in fuel is further decreased,the excessively high cetane number may cause uneven mixing and incomplete combustion,leading to enhanced oxidation reactivity.

Physicochemical characterization of forest and sugarcane leaf combustion’s particulate matters using electron microscopy,EDS,XRD and TGA

Physical characteristics and quantitative elemental composition of PM and residual ash produced from sugarcane leaves(SCL)combustion were investigated using TEM-EDS compared with forest leaves(FRL).SEM-EDS was used to analyze the microstructure and chemical composition of biomass raw leaves and PM.XRD analysis was also performed to investigate the characterization of the crystalline nanostructure,structure of PM,and residual ash compared to the TEM image processing method.The oxidation kinetics of biomass raw materials,PM,and residual ash were investigated by TGA.The morphology of fine and ultrafine agglomerate structure of SCL soot and residual ash are not significantly different from the FRL soot and residual ash.The average diameter sizes of single primary nanoparticles of SCL and FRL soot are approximately 37 nm and 35 nm,while the sizes of residual ash are about 18 nm and 22 nm,respectively.The single primary nanoparticles of soot are mainly composed of curve line crystallites of carbon fringes,while residual ash is composed of straightline lattice fringes.The average fringe lengths of SCL and FRL soot are about 1.25 nm and 1.04 nm from the outer shell and 0.89 nm and 0.74 nm from the inner core.The interlayer spacing of curve line carbon fringes of SCL and FRL soot is approximately 0.359 nm and 0.362 nm by the TEM image analysis and it was matched with XRD analysis.The biomass PMs are mainly composed of soot,Si,Ca,and K compounds:SiO_(2),CaCO3,and KCl.

Spatial Analysis of Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) in South St. Boniface and Mission Industrial Area, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) stays airborne for long periods and can enter the lungs, increasing respiratory and cardiovascular risks. Metal shredders are known sources of PM2.5, lead and other heavy metals. Winnipeg residents of South Saint Boniface (SSB) in Manitoba, Canada, live downwind of the Mission Industrial Area (MIA), which includes a metal shredder, train tracks and other industries. Residents are concerned about the MIA air and noise pollution and wanted ambient air quality monitoring in their mixed land-use area to understand its impact on their health. We measured and mapped the daytime PM2.5, from the MIA and South St. Boniface (SSB) neighborhoods using the Dylos DC 1700 PM over seven months. The Dylos air quality data for PM2.5 was validated by the two federal reference monitors in the city, finding a moderate to very strong correlation (r = 0.52 to 0.83;p-value 0.001), confirming good accuracy. A spatial analysis of the emission data showed that the highest pollution concentration was downwind of the scrap metal shredder in MIA. One-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation analysis revealed significantly higher levels of PM2.5 at MIA and SSB than at the reference sites, which are away from pollution sources. The PM2.5 Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standard (CAAQS) of 27 μg/m3 was exceeded downwind of the property line of the scrap metal shredder in the MIA for five of the 35 monitoring days averaging between 28.9 μg/m3 to 38.1 μg/m3 over eight hours. The standard was not exceeded in the residential area, although PM2.5 levels higher than background levels increased SSB residents exposure levels. This exceedance of regulatory standards requires action to reduce emissions.

Spatial and Temporal Variation of Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5) and Its Health Effects during the Haze Event in Malaysia

This study aims to assess and compare levels of particulate matter(PM10 and PM2.5)in urban and industrial areas in Malaysia during haze episodes,which typically occur in the south west monsoon season.The high concentrations of atmospheric particles are mainly due to pollution from neighbouring countries.Daily PM concentrations were analysed for urban and industrial areas including Alor Setar,Tasek,Shah Alam,Klang,Bandaraya Melaka,Larkin,Balok Baru,and Kuala Terengganu in 2018 and 2019.The analysis employed spatiotemporal to examine how PM levels were distributed.The data summary revealed that PM levels in all study areas were right-skewed,indicating the occurrence of high particulate events.Significant peaks in PM concentrations during haze events were consistently observed between June and October,encompassing the south west monsoon and inter-monsoon periods.The study on acute respiratory illnesses primarily focused on Selangor.Analysis revealed that Klang had the highest mean number of inpatient cases for acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma(AEBA)and acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD)with values of 260.500 and 185.170,respectively.Similarly,for outpatient cases of AEBA and AECOPD,Klang had the highest average values of 41.67 and 14.00,respectively.Shah Alam and Sungai Buloh did not show a significant increase in cases during periods of biomass burning.The statistical analysis concluded that higher concentrations of PM were associated with increased hospital admissions,particularly from June to September,as shown in the bar diagram.Haze episodes were associated with more healthcare utilization due to haze-related respiratory illnesses,seen in higher inpatient and outpatient visits(p<0.05).However,seasonal variability had minimal impact on healthcare utilization.These findings offer a comprehensive assessment of PM levels during historic haze episodes,providing valuable insights for authorities to develop policies and guidelines for effective monitoring and mitigation of the negative impacts of haze events.