Characterization of Road Dust, PM x and Aerosol in a Shopping–Recreational Urban Area: Physicochemical Properties, Concentration, Distribution and Sources Estimation

Dusan Jandacka (), Matej Brna, Daniela Durcanska and Matus Kovac
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Dusan Jandacka: Department of Highway and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zilina, Univerzitná 8215/1, 010 26 Žilina, Slovakia
Matej Brna: Department of Highway and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zilina, Univerzitná 8215/1, 010 26 Žilina, Slovakia
Daniela Durcanska: Department of Highway and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zilina, Univerzitná 8215/1, 010 26 Žilina, Slovakia
Matus Kovac: Department of Highway and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zilina, Univerzitná 8215/1, 010 26 Žilina, Slovakia

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 17, 1-18

Abstract: Road transport is a source of exhaust and non-exhaust emissions of particulate matter (PM). Non-exhaust PM emissions include road surface wear, tires, brakes and road dust resuspension. An important part of PM in urban air consists of particles that originate from the resuspension of road dust. This study focused on the analysis of the physicochemical properties of road dust and PM 10 , PM 2.5 and PM 1 (PM x ) in the air (size, concentration, distribution, content of chemical elements), the properties of urban aerosol (number, mass and area distribution), and at the same time, the interconnection between the detected chemical elements in road dust and individual PM fractions in the air in order to reveal the sources of PM in the Žilina City, Slovakia. The presence of various chemical elements was found in road dust, of which the highest concentrations (more than 100 mg/g) were the elements Ca, Si and Al (specifically 373.3 mg/g, 351.4 mg/g and 113.9 mg/g on average from four sampling sites). The concentrations of PM 10 , PM 2.5 and PM 1 were, on average, 27.2 μg/m 3 , 19.5 μg/m 3 and 14.5 μg/m 3 during the measurement period according to the reference gravimetric method. The chemical elements K, S, Cd, Sb, Pb, Ni and Zn were detected and the most represented (more than 60%) in the fine PM 2.5 fraction, and the chemical elements Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe and Ba were the most represented in the coarse PM 2.5–10 fraction. The analysis of the aerosol in the range of 12 nm–20 μm revealed a bimodal distribution of the collected sample of the investigated urban aerosol. This study provides a comprehensive view of the properties of road dust, airborne PM and aerosol (up to the size of nanoparticles), which can contribute to the expansion of knowledge in this field.

Keywords: road dust; road traffic; particulate matter; aerosol; non-exhaust PM emissions; heavy metals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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