Particulate Matters and Associated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Atmospheric Environment of Songkhla, Thailand in Relation to Rubber-wood Combustion

摘要

Each year, a lot of rubber-wood is used as fuel in several industries around Songkhla province, Thailand. Smoke from rubber-wood burning contains fine particles including nanoparticles and associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) generated from incomplete combustion. In this work, characteristics of nanoparticles in atmospheric environment of Songkhla province during May-December, 2010 were investigated in order to find relation to rubber-wood combustion. Four sampling locations (Hat Yai, Muang, Bangkhlam and Sadao) surrounded by several factories using rubber-wood as fuel in burning process were chosen in this study. Particles size distributions sampled from all locations show bi-modal behavior. They could be originated from biomass burning especially rubber-wood which is the most common fuel used in industries around the sampling sites, and re-suspension of ground dust or other atmospheric aerosol particles. Total suspended particulates (TSP) average 30.61, 27.67, 19.13 and 28.64 μg/m3 for Hat Yai, Muang, Bangkhlam and Sadao, respectively. TSP was generally low, particularly when precipitation was high. PAHs size distributions of ambient air particles of all location show single-modal behavior. It can be concluded that most of the PAHs are associated with small particles. Total PAH concentration was low. PAHs in Hat Yai, Bangkhlam and Sadao was related to amount of rubber-wood used in the area. At Muang, the concentration was very low which could result from influence of wind and precipitation.