TITLE:
Measurement of Air Pollution in Kuwait City Using Passive Samplers
AUTHORS:
Jasem M. Al-Awadhi
KEYWORDS:
Passive Sampler; SO2; NO; NO2; H2S; O3; NH3; VOCs; Quality Indices
JOURNAL NAME:
Atmospheric and Climate Sciences,
Vol.4 No.2,
April
14,
2014
ABSTRACT: Measurements of gaseous SO2,
NO, NO2, H2S, O3, NH3 and VOCs, in Kuwait city using IVL
passive sampler technology, were obtained on monthly basis during the period
from March 2011 to February 2012 at 10 locations. The results of this study
reveal that those compounds had low concentrations compared to Kuwait
Environment Public Authority standards for residential areas. It is found that
nitrogen oxides, benzene and xylene were mostly emitted from motor vehicles; in
contrast, industrial sources including oil industries were a major contributor
to sulfur dioxide and toluene pollution. Higher concentrations of NOx and SO2were recorded during
winter season where the inversion layer is quite pronounced thus trapping more
pollutants in ambient air, while higher O3 values were recorded in summer period;
the hot season in Kuwait. The spatial distributions of the measured gaseous
air pollutants were extremely consistent with the influence of the prevailing
wind direction NW. In general and except for PM10, the yearly
average air quality indices (AQI) of SO2, NO2, CO and O3concentrations
are coming under the category of “good” and “moderate”.