Impact of urbanization and industrialization on PM10 in municipalities near megacities: A case study from an Andean Region, Latin America

This study provides a chemical characterization, source apportionment, and health risk assessment of PM₁₀ collected at an urbanizing site near Bogotá, a major Latin American megacity. The average concentration was 23 ± 6.6 μg/m³, below national and WHO 24-h exposure standards, likely due to socioeconomic measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chemical analysis showed that carbonaceous matter (46 %) and crustal minerals (36 %) were predominant, with secondary inorganic compounds contributing 15 % and trace elements 2 %. The highest metal concentrations were Zn, Cu, Sn, Ba, and Pb. Using Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) and AERMOD models, major sources of PM₁₀ were identified. AERMOD pointed to industrial contributors, including fire-tube boilers and a thermal power plant, while PMF identified seven sources: crude and oil combustion (26 %), secondary aerosols and biomass burning (26 %), asphalt and cement plants (16 %), traffic emissions (13 %), road dust (8 %), mineral and industrial emissions (8 %), and salt and fertilizer industries (3 %). A cancer risk assessment revealed that Cr(VI), As, and Co exceeded safety thresholds, posing a low risk (10⁻⁶ to <10⁻⁴). These findings highlight the significant impact of industrialization and urbanization on air quality near megacities, even during reduced emissions periods, stressing the need for further research in peri-urban areas of emerging economies.