Urban Particulate Matter Hazard Mapping and Monitoring Site Selection in Nablus, Palestine

Few air pollution studies have been applied in the State of Palestine and all showed an increase in particulate matter concentrations above WHO guidelines. However, there is no clear methodology for selecting monitoring locations. In this study, a methodology based on GIS and locally calibrated low-...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Tawfiq Saleh, Abdelhaleem Khader
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-07-01
Series:Atmosphere
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/13/7/1134
Description
Summary:Few air pollution studies have been applied in the State of Palestine and all showed an increase in particulate matter concentrations above WHO guidelines. However, there is no clear methodology for selecting monitoring locations. In this study, a methodology based on GIS and locally calibrated low-cost sensors was tested. A GIS-based weighted overlay summation process for the potential sources of air pollution (factories, quarries, and traffic), taking into account the influence of altitude and climate, was used to obtain an air pollution hazard map for Nablus, Palestine. To test the methodology, eight locally calibrated PM sensors (AirUs) were deployed to measure PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations for 55 days from 7 January to 2 March 2022. The results of the hazard map showed that 82% of Nablus is exposed to a high and medium risk of PM pollution. Sensors’ readings showed a good match between the hazard intensity and PM concentrations. It also shows an elevated PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations above WHO guidelines in all areas. In summary, the overall average for PM<sub>2.5</sub> in the Nablus was 48 µg/m<sup>3</sup>. This may indicate the effectiveness of mapping methodology and the use of low-cost, locally calibrated sensors in characterizing air quality status to identify the potential remediation options.
ISSN:2073-4433