Aerosols as Vectors for Contaminants: A Perspective Based on Outdoor Aerosol Data from Kuwait

The Middle East is a hot spot of dust, and there are reports of as much as 1400 µg m<sup>−3</sup> of dust in aerosols from Kuwait, which is among some of the highest dust loadings globally. A significant volume of literature has emerged on dust–air-quality–human-health, and the World Hea...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Saif Uddin, Nazima Habibi, Scott W. Fowler, Montaha Behbehani, Bondi Gevao, Mohammad Faizuddin, Aysun Ugur Gorgun
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-02-01
Series:Atmosphere
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/14/3/470
Description
Summary:The Middle East is a hot spot of dust, and there are reports of as much as 1400 µg m<sup>−3</sup> of dust in aerosols from Kuwait, which is among some of the highest dust loadings globally. A significant volume of literature has emerged on dust–air-quality–human-health, and the World Health Organization in its recent air quality guidelines has lowered the limit of annual PM<sub>2.5</sub> exposure to 5 μg m<sup>−3</sup> from the previous limit of 10 μg m<sup>−3</sup>. We present a mini-review based on a screening and search of the published data generated in Kuwait on contaminants associated with dust in different size fractions. We also include an unpublished study on organic contaminants in size-fractionated aerosols. The ΣPAHs concentrations in all the six size fractions range between 570 and 3350 pg m<sup>−3</sup>. The ∑PBDE concentration ranges from ~2 to 1307 pg m<sup>−3</sup>. The average <sup>210</sup>Po activity in aerosol size classes varies between 2289 and 2581 Bq kg<sup>−1</sup>. The average <sup>210</sup>Pb concentration varies between 352 and 412 Bq kg<sup>−1</sup>. The MP inventory in Kuwait’s outdoor aerosol is between 5 and 35 MP in 815 ± 5 m<sup>3</sup> of air. The bacterial load in outdoor aerosols is between 6.05 × 10<sup>3</sup> cells m<sup>−3</sup> and 1.24 × 10<sup>8</sup> cells m<sup>−3</sup>. The fungal load ranges between 2.11 × 10<sup>2</sup> cells m<sup>−3</sup> and 2.66 × 10<sup>6</sup> cells m<sup>−3</sup>. The data suggest that the inhalable fraction of <2.5 µm size contains high concentrations of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), <sup>210</sup>Po, <sup>210</sup>Pb, microplastics, and microbes. These enriched ultrafine aerosols pose a significant risk to human health. The review also highlights the scarcity of contaminant data in respirable and inhalable size fractions that are critical for a comprehensive inhalation risk assessment.
ISSN:2073-4433