The seasonal transport of the Saharan dust to the West African region, near the Gulf of Guinea, during northem winter has been studied over 12 years. Using an optical particle counter, the dust aerosols in the diamete...The seasonal transport of the Saharan dust to the West African region, near the Gulf of Guinea, during northem winter has been studied over 12 years. Using an optical particle counter, the dust aerosols in the diameter range 0.5-25 μm have been sampled at Kumasi （6040＇ N, l°34＇ W） in Ghana during the winter months of January-February from 1997 to 2009. The settling atmospheric dust particles observed during the peak Harmattan and the background Harmattan periods are analysed for the mean particle size, number and mass concentrations as well as the particle size-frequency. It is shown that the average daily particle diameter, number and mass concentrations obtained in the peak Harmattan periods are 1.57 ± 0.54 μm, 50 ± 25 particles/cm3 and 1,130 ± 994 μg/m3, respectively, while for the background Harmattan these values are correspondingly, 1.31 ±0.31 μm, 32 ±12 particles/cm3 and 576 ±429 μg/m3, respectively. These experimental results will be useful for the design of ambient air-filters and for understanding the West African climate change.展开更多
文摘The seasonal transport of the Saharan dust to the West African region, near the Gulf of Guinea, during northem winter has been studied over 12 years. Using an optical particle counter, the dust aerosols in the diameter range 0.5-25 μm have been sampled at Kumasi （6040＇ N, l°34＇ W） in Ghana during the winter months of January-February from 1997 to 2009. The settling atmospheric dust particles observed during the peak Harmattan and the background Harmattan periods are analysed for the mean particle size, number and mass concentrations as well as the particle size-frequency. It is shown that the average daily particle diameter, number and mass concentrations obtained in the peak Harmattan periods are 1.57 ± 0.54 μm, 50 ± 25 particles/cm3 and 1,130 ± 994 μg/m3, respectively, while for the background Harmattan these values are correspondingly, 1.31 ±0.31 μm, 32 ±12 particles/cm3 and 576 ±429 μg/m3, respectively. These experimental results will be useful for the design of ambient air-filters and for understanding the West African climate change.
