Overview and Seasonality of PM10 and PM2.5 in Guayaquil, Ecuador

Abstract

The focus of this study is the assessment of total suspended particles (TSP) and particulate matter (PM) with various aerodynamic diameters in ambient air in Guayaquil, a city in Ecuador that features a tropical climate. The urban annual mean concentrations of TSP (Total Suspended Particles), and particle matter (PM) with various aerodynamic diameters such as: PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 are 31 ± 14 µg m−3, 21 ± 9 µg m−3, 7 ± 2 µg m−3 and 1 ± 1 µg m−3, respectively. Air mass studies reveal that the city receives a clean Southern Ocean breeze. Backward trajectory analysis show differences between wet and dry seasons. During the dry season, most winds come from the south and southwest, while air masses from the peri urban may contribute as pollutant sources during the wet season. Although mean values of PM10 and PM2.5 were below dangerous levels, our year-round continuous monitoring study reveals that maximum values often surpassed those permissible limits allowed by the Ecuadorian norms. A cluster analysis shows four main paths in which west and southwest clusters account for more than 93% of the pollution. Total vertical column of NO2 shows the pollution footprint is strongest during the dry season, as opposed to the wet season. A microscopic morphological characterization of ambient particles within the city during the wet and the dry season reveals coarse mode particles with irregular and rounded shapes. Particle analysis reveals that samples are composed of urban dust, anthropogenic and organic debris during the dry season while mainly urban dust during the wet season.

Chemical Characterization and Optical Properties of the Aerosol in São Paulo, Brazil

“…In Porto (Portugal), a mean of 25.8 µg/m 3 was observed, and the winter/summer periods had no influence [44]. In other South American cities such as Guayaquil (Ecuador) and Lima (Peru), the averages were 7 µg/m 3 [45] and 30 µg/m 3 , respectively [46]; an average of 9.2 µg/m 3 was observed in Caracas (Venezuela) [47], and of 45 µg/m 3 in Cordoba (Argentina) [48].…”

Source apportionment of ambient pollution levels in Guayaquil, Ecuador

“…Similar to many other cities in developing economies, there are no permanent air quality monitoring stations for assessing pollution levels. A recent study in Guayaquil monitored PM 10 and PM 2.5 in Guayaquil from September 1, 2015, to November 17, 2016, using a particle counter [ 13 ]. The authors found that the average concentrations of both pollutants remained below dangerous levels, although continuous monitoring throughout the study period revealed that the maximum values often exceeded the permissible limits set by Ecuadorian Regulations.…”

Temporal evolution of PM2.5, PM10, and total suspended particles (TSP) in the Ciuc basin (Transylvania) with specific microclimate condition from 2010 to 2019

“…The particulate matter aerodynamic diameter is very important parameter because it can provide valuable information about the source and possible deposition of PM particles in different tissues and organs in the human body (Liu et al, 2016 ; Vlachogiannis et al, 2021 ). The aerodynamic diameter of PM’s is in the range of 0.001 to 500 μm, therefore PM, including the PM 10 (coarse particulate) and PM 2.5 (fine particulate), has wide-ranging deleterious effects on human health, especially PM 2.5 can enter via the respiratory system, and the accumulation over time can result in a variety of inflammatory responses (Moran-Zuloaga et al, 2021 ; Sharma et al, 2019 ).…”