Elemental characterization of PM2.5 aerosol samples in four Mideastern cities and source apportionment investigation (Metadata RADIATE TA Proposal 21002410-ST)

Proposal title "Elemental characterization of PM2.5 aerosol samples in four Mideastern cities and source apportionment investigation". Measurements carried out at the external beam set-up for atmospheric aerosol analysis of the INFN LABEC accelerator laboratory, from 14 till 21 March 2022. Hands-off mode.

Despite the increasing awareness of environmental problems due to air pollution, there is still a lack of related studies that can cover sufficiently this topic in the eastern Mediterranean countries comparing to western ones.

About 400 samples of fine atmospheric particulate matter (PM2.5) were collected for 24 hours twice a week (in a day in the middle of the week and another in the weekend) from three urban areas in the Middle East region (Doha - Qatar, Baghdad - Iraq and Kuwait City - Kuwait), using a low volume air sampler (2.3 m³ per hour) and deposited on Teflon filters. The sampling campaign covered the period 2018-2020. These samples were analyzed by PIXE technique to determine for their elemental composition determination (Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, Y, Pb).