Distribution and Characterization of PM10 in City and Valley of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico

Miguel Canales-Rodríguez; Margarito Quintero-Núnez; Benjamin Valdés-Salas; Walter Daessle-Heuser

doi:10.4236/jep.2015.61004

Home > Journals > Earth & Environmental Sciences > JEP

Journal of Environmental Protection > Vol.6 No.1, January 2015

Distribution and Characterization of PM₁₀ in City and Valley of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico ()

Miguel Canales-Rodríguez^1*, Margarito Quintero-Núnez¹, Benjamin Valdés-Salas¹, Walter Daessle-Heuser²

¹Departament of Environment, Institute of Engineering, Autonomous University of Baja California, Mexicali, México.
²Deparment of Environmental Geosciences, Institute of Oceanological Research, Autonomous University of Baja California, Ensenada, Mexico.

DOI: 10.4236/jep.2015.61004 PDF HTML XML 3,107 Downloads 3,671 Views Citations

Abstract

The variability of the levels of atmospheric particulate matter PM₁₀ and its composition is assessed in the rural and urban zones of Mexicali during fall and winter 2008-2009, using a low level volume Minivol sampler, with quartz and Teflon filters. During fall the Mexican norm was exceeded (120 μg/m³ in 24 hr) in only two occasions, while in winter it was exceeded twelve times. The predominant component in fall was geological material with 62.5% for the rural zone and 48.5% for the urban one. In winter the geological material was also predominant with 65% for the rural zone and 54.4% for the urban zone. The aim of this work is the interpretation of the variability of the atmospheric PM₁₀ particulate matter at two selected zones (urban and rural of Mexicali) during fall and winter, with emphasis on the chemical composition. The results suggest that the pollution in the urban and rural zones has common sources during winter whereas in fall the pollution has different sources.

Keywords

Urban, Rural, Atmosphere, Particulate Matter

Share and Cite:

Canales-Rodríguez, M. , Quintero-Núnez, M. , Valdés-Salas, B. and Daessle-Heuser, W. (2015) Distribution and Characterization of PM₁₀ in City and Valley of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. Journal of Environmental Protection, 6, 25-33. doi: 10.4236/jep.2015.61004.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Lacasana, N.M., Aguilar, G.C. and Romieu, I. (1999) Evolucion de la contaminacion del aire e impacto de los programas de control en tres mega-ciudades de America Latina. Salud Publica de Mexico, 41, 203-215. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0036-36341999000300008
[2]	Molina, G.A. (2013) Contaminantes atmosfericos primarios. In: Curso basico de toxicologia ambiental, Albert, Limusa, Mexico D.F., 43-70.
[3]	Borja, A.V.H. (2000) Estudios Ecologicos. Salud publica de Mexico, 42, 533-538. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0036-36342000000600010
[4]	Chow, J.C., Watson, J.G., Edgerton, S.A. and Vega, E. (2001) Chemical Composition of PM2.5 and PM10 in Mexico City during Winter 1997. Science of the Total Environment, 287, 177-201. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0048-9697(01)00982-2
[5]	Covarrubias, P.C.A.L. (2003) Region metropolitana: Propuesta de solucion a la descontaminacion. Urbano, 6, 26-31.
[6]	Reyna, C.M.A., Quintero, N.M., Collins, K. and Vildosola, R.R.L. (2003) Analisis de la relacion del PM10 con las enfermedades respiratorias en la poblacion urbana de Mexicali, Baja California: Un estudio de series de tiempo. Revista Mexicana de Ingenieria Biomedica, 24, 116-125.
[7]	Meza, L.M., Quintero, N.M., Garcia, C.O.R. and Ramirez J. (2009) Estimacion de Factores de Emision de PM10 y PM2.5, en Vias Urbanas en Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. Informacion Tecnologica, 21, 45-56.
[8]	Kelly, K.E., Jaramillo, I.C., Quintero, N.M., Wagner, D.A., Collins, K. and Meuzelaar, H.L. (2010) Low-Wind/High Particulate Matter Episodes in the Calexico/Mexicali Region. Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association, 60, 1476-1486. http://dx.doi.org/10.3155/1047-3289.60.12.1476
[9]	Quijano, P.A., Quijano, V.M.J. and Henao, M.J.A. (2010) Caracterizacion fisicoquimica del material particulado fraccion respirable PM2.5 en Pamplona Norte de Santander, Colombia. Bistua: Revista de la Facultad de Ciencias Basicas, 8, 1-20.
[10]	Tzintzun, C.M.G., Rojas, B.L. and Fernandez, B.A. (2005) Las particulas suspendidas en tres grandes ciudades mexicanas. Gaceta Ecologica, 74, 15-28.
[11]	Warneck, P. (1988) Chemistry of the Natural Atmosphere. International Geophysics Series, 41, 757.
[12]	Chow, J.C., Watson, J.G., Green, M.C., Lowelthal, D.H., Bates, B., Oslund, W. and Torres, G. (2000) Cross Border Transport and Spatial Variability of Suspended Particles in Mexicali and California’s Imperial Valley. Atmospheric Environment, 34, 1833-1843. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1352-2310(99)00282-4
[13]	Zuk, M.G. and Rojas, T.L. (2007) Tercer almanaque de datos y tendencia de la calidad del aire en 9 ciudades Mexicanas. SEMARNAT and INE, Mexico.
[14]	SPA, SEMARNAT and ECOLOGIA (2011) Pro-Aire Mexicali 2011-2020. Programa para mejorar la calidad del aire en Mexicali 2011-2020. Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Mexicali.
[15]	Mendoza, D.A. and Pardo, C.E. (2005) Niveles de PM2.5 y su composicion quimica en la atmosfera de Mexicali, BC durante el otono de 2004. V simposio de contaminacion atmosferica, Iztapalapa, 19-21 June 2005, 55-59.
[16]	INEGI (2010) Mexico en cifras: Informacion nacional, por entidad federativa y municipios. http://www.inegi.org.mx/default.aspx Enero del 2013.
[17]	Garcia, C.O.R., Jauregui, O.E., Toudert, D. and Tejeda, M.A. (2007) Detection of the Urban Heat Island in Mexicali, B. C. Mexico and Its Relationship with Land Use. Atmosfera, 20, 111-131.
[18]	Chow, J.C. and Watson, J.G. (1997) Imperial Valley/Mexicali Cross Border PM10 Transport Study, DRI Document No. 8623.2d1.
[19]	Quintero, N.M. and Vega, R.A. (2006) Estudio comparativo de tendencias de la calidad del aire de la ciudad de Mexicali (1997-2004). In: Contaminacion y medio ambiente en Baja California, UABC, Margarito Quintero-Nunez, Porrua, Mexicali, 40-46.