Sources of PM10, PM2.5, and VOCs in the Greater Cairo Area

摘要

The greater Cairo area suffers from extreme levels of gas and particulate phase air pollutants. In order to reduce the levels of ambient pollution, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) have supported the Cairo Air Improvement Project (CAIP). As part of this project a source attribution study was performed to assess the contributions of specific pollutant source types to the observed particulate matter (PM) and volatile organic compound (VOC) levels in Cairo. Two intensive ambient monitoring studies were carried out during the period of February 21 to March 3 and October 27 to November 27, 1999. PM_(10), PM_(2.5), volatile organic VOCs, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured on a 24-hour basis at six sampling stations during each of the intensive periods. During the February/March study, samples were collected daily, while in the October/November study samples were collected every other day. The six intensive measurement sites represented background levels, mobile source impacts, industrial impacts, and residential exposure. Based on the results of earlier studies, particular emphasis was placed on characterizing the source contribution and ambient levels of lead (Pb) in the area. The results of this study demonstrate that lead smelting is an important source of Pb throughout the greater Cairo area. In addition to the primary goal of determining the sources of the observed high particulate and VOC levels in the greater Cairo area, the results provide a baseline against which future studies could assess the impact of regulatory initiatives and controls on pollutant levels. This paper presents the results of the intensive monitoring studies and PM_(10), PM_(2.5), and VOC source contribution estimates.