Composition of carbohydrates, surfactants, major elements and anions in PM2.5 during the 2013 Southeast Asia high pollution episode in Malaysia--颗粒学报PARTICUOLOGY

Jaafar, S. A., Latif, M. T., Razak, I. S., Wahid, N. B. A., Khan, M. F., & Srithawirat, T. (2018). Composition of carbohydrates, surfactants, major elements and anions in PM2.5 during the 2013 Southeast Asia high pollution episode in Malaysia. Particuology, 37, 119-126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.partic.2017.04.012

Composition of carbohydrates, surfactants, major elements and anions in PM_2.5 during the 2013 Southeast Asia high pollution episode in Malaysia

Shoffian Amin Jaafar ^a, Mohd Talib Latif ^{a b *}, Intan Suraya Razak ^a, Nurul Bahiyah Abd Wahid ^c, Md Firoz Khan ^d, Thunwadee Srithawirat ^e

a School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
b Institute for Environment and Development (Lestari), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
c Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia
d Centre for Tropical Climate Change System (IKLIM), Institute of Climate Change, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
e Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University, Phitsanulok, Thailand

10.1016/j.partic.2017.04.012

Volume 37, April 2018, Pages 119-126

Received 16 April 2016, Revised 17 April 2017, Accepted 22 April 2017, Available online 5 September 2017, Version of Record 3 February 2018.

E-mail: talib@ukm.edu.my; talib_latif@yahoo.com

Highlights

• Selected components in PM_2.5 were determined during 7-day hazy period in Malaysia.

• Levoglucosan, surfactants, major elements and anions were main parameters determined.

• The measured components were proportional to the concentration of PM_2.5.

• Meteorological factors influenced the characterisation of PM_2.5 components.

Abstract

Haze episodes have become a major concern in Malaysia over the past few decades and have an increasingly important impact on the country each and every year. During haze episodes from biomass burning in Southeast Asia, particularly from Sumatra, Indonesia, particulate matter PM_2.5 is found to be one of the dangerous sources of airborne pollution and is known to seriously affect human health. This study determines the composition of carbohydrates (as levoglucosan), surfactants, major elements, and anions in PM_2.5 during a 2013 haze episode. PM_2.5 samples were collected from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, using a high volume sampler during a seven-day monitoring campaign during the peak of that year’s haze episode. PM₂_.5 concentrations ranged between 14.52 and 160.93 μg/m³, exceeding the 2005 WHO air quality guidelines for PM_2.5 (25 μg/m³ for 24-h mean). The patterns for levoglucosan, surfactants, major elements, and anionic compositions were proportional to the PM_2.5 concentrations. Changes in PM_2.5 observed on days 3 and 4 were influenced by a combination of meteorological factors, which substantiate the theory that such factors play a pivotal role in haze episodes.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Aerosol; Biomass burning; Levoglucosan; Surfactant; HazeInorganic composition

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