Seasonal size-segregated PM10 and PAH concentrations in a rural area of sugarcane agriculture versus a coastal urban area in Southeastern Florida, USA--颗粒学报PARTICUOLOGY

Sevimoglu, O., & Rogge, W. F. (2016). Seasonal size-segregated PM10 and PAH concentrations in a rural area of sugarcane agriculture versus a coastal urban area in Southeastern Florida, USA. Particuology, 28, 52-59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.partic.2015.09.013

Seasonal size-segregated PM₁₀and PAH concentrations in a rural area of sugarcane agriculture versus a coastal urban area in Southeastern Florida, USA

Orhan Sevimoglu ^a *, Wolfgang F. Rogge ^b

a Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Florida International University, 10555 W. Flagler Street, Miami, FL 33174, USA
b School of Engineering and Sierra Nevada Research Institute, University of California at Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA 95343, USA

10.1016/j.partic.2015.09.013

Volume 28, October 2016, Pages 52-59

Received 6 June 2015, Revised 16 September 2015, Accepted 30 September 2015, Available online 18 January 2016, Version of Record 4 August 2016.

E-mail: sevimoglu@gmail.com

Highlights

• One year size-segregated PM₁₀ data were compared in a rural region and a nearby urbanized city.

• PM levels during the sugarcane harvesting period were substantially elevated in the rural region.

• Changes in concentrations of individual PAHs in size segregated PM₁₀ were assessed during the year.

• A Sahara dust event impacted both urban and rural sites similarly.

Abstract

Airborne particulate matter (PM) is of health and environmental concern not only in highly urbanized areas, but also in rural areas that are used for intensive agricultural purposes. In this study, PM size-segregated samples were collected simultaneously for 12 months in a small town (Belle Glade, Florida), which is the center of a vast sugarcane growing area and at Delray Beach, a coastal city in Palm Beach County, Florida. During the winter sampling period, when sugarcane foliage is burned just before harvesting to reduce the amount of plant matter to be handled, PM₁₀ levels were 50% or higher than otherwise measured, indicating that sugarcane harvesting and processing is a major local source for PM₁₀. For the rest of the year, PM₁₀ levels at both sites are similar, suggesting that ambient PM levels at both sites are impacted by the major urban centers in Southern Florida. During late July and early August, the PM₁₀ levels at both sites were substantially elevated and revealed the typical red-brownish color of Saharan dust. This has been reported to occur frequently with suitable meteorological conditions over the Atlantic Ocean coupled with a Sahara dust storm event. During the sugarcane harvesting season at Belle Glade, the concentrations of PAHs associated with PM₁₀ were up to 15 times higher than those measured during the summer growing season, indicating a substantially higher exposure of the rural population to these often mutagenic and carcinogenic compounds.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Size segregated ambient particles; PM₁₀; PAHs; Biomass burning; Rural versus urban; Saharan dust

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