PM₁₀ concentration levels at an urban and background site in Cyprus: The impact of urban sources and dust storms

Abstract

Air quality in Cyprus is influenced by both local and transported pollution including desert dust storms. We examined PM10 concentration data collected in Nicosia (urban representative) from April 1, 1993 through December 11, 2008, and Ayia Marina (rural background representative) from January 1, 1999 through December 31, 2008. Measurements were conducted using a Tapered Element Oscillating Micro-balance (TEOM). PM10 concentrations, meteorological records and satellite data were used to identify dust storm days. We investigated long term trends using a Generalized Additive Model (GAM) after controlling for day of week, month, temperature, wind speed, and relative humidity. In Nicosia, annual PM10 concentrations ranged from 50.4 to 63.8 μg/m3 and exceeded the EU annual standard limit enacted in 2005 of 40 μg/m3 every year. A large, statistically significant impact of urban sources (defined as the difference between urban and background levels) was seen in Nicosia over the period 2000–2008, and was highest during traffic hours, weekdays, cold months, and low wind conditions. Our estimate of the mean (standard error) contribution of urban sources to the daily ambient PM10 was 24.0 (0.4) μg/m3. The study of yearly trends showed that PM10 levels in Nicosia decreased from 59.4 μg/m3 in 1993 to 49.0 μg/m3 in 2008, probably in part as a result of traffic emission control policies in Cyprus. In Ayia Marina, annual concentrations ranged from 27.3 to 35.6 μg/m3, and no obvious time trends were observed. The levels measured at the Cyprus background site are comparable to background concentrations reported in other Eastern Mediterranean countries. Average daily PM10 concentrations during desert dust storms were around 100 μg/m3 since 2000 and much higher in earlier years. Despite the large impact of dust storms and their increasing frequency over time, dust storms were responsible for a small fraction of the exceedances of the daily PM10 limit.

Monitoring the contribution of desert dust intrusion to PM10 concentration in Northern Cyprus

“…2009, Achilleos et al 2014. Also due to its close proximity to the Sahara Desert and the Arabian Peninsula, PM 10 concentration over the island has been heavily impacted by desert dust storm (Achilleos et al 2014). Epidemiological investigations have linked increased cardiovascular, respiratory diseases and mortality to the exposure of people to high PM 10 concentration during dust episodes in the region (Middleton et al 2008, Neophytou et al 2013.…”

“…al. 2009, Achilleos et al 2014. Also due to its close proximity to the Sahara Desert and the Arabian Peninsula, PM 10 concentration over the island has been heavily impacted by desert dust storm (Achilleos et al 2014).…”

“…Average PM 10 concentrations on dust days, as measured in Southern Cyprus regional background, could reach up to of 1000 µg/m 3 (European Environment Agency Hassan Y. Sulaiman *1 and Sedef Çakir (EEA), 2012). Previous studies investigating PM 10 concentration over the island and the contribution of local and foreign sources found that concentration of PM 10 in the regional, rural and urban background exceed that of most Mediterranean sites of equal background characterization (Querol et al 2009, Achilleos et al 2014.…”

“…Desert dust intrusion may result in extreme PM 10 concentration in the island which may persist for few days (Middleton et al 2008, Querol et al 2009, Achilleos et al 2014. Even among the Mediterranean countries, Cyprus is characterised as an epitome area where Saharan dust episodes cause high PM 10 concentration.…”

“…The few previous investigations done in the region; were mainly carried out to cover the southern part of the island (Querol et al 2009, Mazouridez et al 2015, Achilleos et al 2014, Neophytou et al 2013, Middleton et al, 2008. Mouzourides et al (2015) investigated the role of transboundary sources of PM 10 in South Cyprus as a representative of South Eastern Mediterranean using Dust Regional Atmospheric Model from Barcelona Super Computing Centre (BSC/DREAM) and meteorological parameters.…”