The determination of particulate matter pollution in Kaunas city

Abstract

Particulate matter pollution is a major environmental issue in a large number of cities causing adverse effects on human health. It is a mixture of solid, liquid or solid and liquid particles suspended in the air, which vary in size and composition. The aim of this study was to determine and evaluate the concentration of particular matter (PM10), which is 10 micrometres or less in diameter, in Kaunas city, Lithuania. The measurements were carried out in 35 sites of Kaunas city. We used a realtime dust monitor (CEL - 712 Pro MicroDust, Casella) with an ambient air pump. The results of the study showed that the concentration of PM10 in high traffic intensity sites (more than 10,000 vehicles/day) ranged from 22.4 to 32.3 μg/m3 with the average value of 26.3 μg/m3, while in low traffic intensity sites (less than 3,000 vehicles/day) PM10 values varied from 15.3 to 20.8 μg/m3 with the average value of 17.8 μg/m3. We compared the concentrations of PM10 in areas of multi-storey buildings blocks and individual houses blocks. It was found that the average concentration of PM10 was higher in areas with multi-storey buildings 24.2 μg/m3, while in areas with individual houses - 19.2 μg/m3.