Road Dust Resuspension in the Vicinity of Limestone Quarries in Jordan

摘要

Many areas in Jordan suffer from elevated levels of coarse particulate matter (PM_(10)). One potentially significant source of the observed PM is the resuspension of road dust in the vicinity of limestone quarries. To obtain data to assess the impact from this source, PM_(10) road dust resuspension factors near Abusiiah, a town to the north east of Amman surrounded by many quarries and brick factories, were measured. Measurements included PM_(10) mass, particle size distributions, wind speed, and wind direction. The results showed that PM_(10) concentrations could be as high as 600 μg/m~3, and most of the airborne PM is in the coarse fraction. Loading trucks play a major role in resuspending road dust, with an observed PM_(10) emission rate of > 6000 mg/km.