Impact of particulates generated by auto-exhaust on air quality over Damietta city – Egypt

Sh. El-Henawy, Reham; H. El-Ezaby, Khaled; A. Shakour, Alia; I. El-Gammal, Maie

doi:10.21608/joese.2019.177110

Impact of particulates generated by auto-exhaust on air quality over Damietta city – Egypt

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Environmental Sciences Department, Faculty of Sciences, Damietta University, Egypt.

² Air pollution Department, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.

10.21608/joese.2019.177110

Abstract

The objective of this study is to assess the influence of particulates generated by traffic on air quality of the urban area in Damietta City, Egypt. In this study, particulate concentrations had demonstrated in the atmosphere of seven locations in the city, through year 2018 and comparing with the data of year 2009. The chemical characteristics of particulate components (SO₄^2-, NH₄⁺, NO₃^-, NO₂^- and Cl^-) had also investigated for the sampling locations. It indicated that about 100 % of the measured samples exceeded Egyptian ambient air quality standard (90 mg/m³/year). The air quality index (AQI) of traffic and residential areas in Damietta City with respect to suspended particulate matter (SPM) shows a significant improvement of air quality during the period of 2018, compared with the concentrations during the period of 2009, which indicated extreme air pollution at that period. Whereas the main compounds in SPM in the city follow the order: (NH₄)₂SO₄> NH₄NO₃. These results clarify that the reaction between NO_x, SO₂ and ammonia gases might be emitted from auto-exhaust.

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