PMF Resolved Source Identification & Health Risk Assessment of Trace-elements in Airborne Particulate Matter (PM10) from South-Asian Megacity.

Abstract

To mitigate the adverse effects of airborne particulate matter, it is crucial to comprehend its composition, size distribution and corresponding emission inventories. In this study, we investigated the sources of trace elements in PM10 from the Faisalabad metropolitan area, situated in the Indo-Gangetic Plain. We employed ICP-OES for the analysis of trace elements. The average PM10 concentration was 517 ± 206 µgm^-3, exceeding safety levels established by Pak-EPA (150 μgm^-3), US-EPA (150 μgm^-3), and WHO (50 μgm^-3). Notably, higher concentrations were observed in summer than in autumn and winter. On average, elemental concentrations followed the order: Fe > Al > Si > Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd > Sn > B > Se > Ni > Co > Mn > Cr > Mo > Sb > Ba > V > As > Zr. The PMF model predicted seven major sources for elemental contents, including metal works, vehicular exhaust and non-exhaust emissions, burning of fossil fuels in industries, municipal waste incineration, and industrial mixed dust. Furthermore, a health risk assessment revealed that the Cumulative Carcinogenic Risk (CCR) for adults (1.22 ×10⁻³) and children (5.05 ×10⁻⁴) exceeded the WHO/USEPA upper limit (1 ×10⁻⁴) by factors of 12.2 and 5.05 respectively.