TITLE:
Diurnal and Seasonal Variation of BTX in Ambient air of One Urban Site in Carmen City, Campeche, Mexico
AUTHORS:
J. G. Cerón, E. Ramírez, R. M. Cerón, C. Carballo, C. Aguilar, U. López, A. Ramírez, Y. Gracia, D. Naal, A. Campero, J. Guerra, E. Guevara
KEYWORDS:
BTX; Carbonyls; Volatile Organic Compounds; Air Pollution; Carmen City; Mexico
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.4 No.8A,
August
12,
2013
ABSTRACT: BTX (benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene and p-xylene)
and meteorological parameters were measured in ambient air of an urban site
located in Carmen City, Campeche, Mexico. A total of 412 samples were collected
for BTX and analyzed by Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detection (GC-FID).
Meteorological parameters were measured by a portable station. A marked diurnal
variation was found for all measured BTX. The highest concentrations occurred
during midday (13:00-14:30 h). A clear seasonal pattern was observed too for
all compounds registering their highest levels during summer sampling period.
Mean concentrations for benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene and p-xylene were: 5.42,
3.97, 11.24 and 8.32 ppbv, respectively. BTX abundance showed the following
order: toluene > p-xylene > benzene >
ethylbenzene. BTX maximum concentrations were found when winds blowed from E
and NE. Important oil industry sources and avenues are located at these
directions. These sources could contribute to the levels of BTX in this site.