Indoor Concentration and Composition of Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Near an Intense Circulated Road in an Industrial City

Abstract

The purpose of the present work is to present results from a measuring campaign during February-March 2020, in Galati city, Romania, aiming the concentration of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) in air and their heavy metal concentrations, then comparing the results with the air quality determined by the national monitoring system from the same city. Results show considerable differences concerning the air quality measured in this study compared with measurements of the national monitoring system that consist in four stations placed across the city. While values recorded in this study exceeded, in some situations, the maximum target from PM_2.5, the reports from the national monitoring system presented a good air quality, using a colour- and number-coding (maximum level 4 out of 6 was reported). Heavy metal concentrations of the fine particulate matters collected in this study was compared with other studies across the world, high Fe and Zn values being registered in agglomerated and industrialized cities, including the city considered in the present study, while in a study conducted in Beijing, China most higher values between all analysed heavy metals were recorded.