Seasonal variation of particulate matter in the ambient conditions of Khanspur, Pakistan

Abstract

Concentrations of particulate matter tend to vary with shifting seasons. Levels of particulate matter were monitored during the summer and winter season in Khanspur, a high altitude tourist resort in Pakistan. A DustTrak DRX (Model 8533, TSI Inc.) and Kestrel 4500 Pocket Weather Tracker (Nielsen- Kellerman) were installed at selected site in Khanspur and run for 24 hours. During summer the 24- hour average concentrations of PM1, PM2.5, PM4, PM10 and PMTotalwere 96 ± 26.42, 106± 29.02, 118± 33.3, 163± 52.5 and 209 ± 79.5 µg/m³ while these were considerably lower during the winter season for the same size fractions (62 ± 48.6, 63± 49.3, 63 ± 49.5, 65.33 ± 50.06 and 66.96 ± 50.78µg/m³). A one way ANOVA was applied on the obtained data and it was concluded that seasons have a substantial impact upon PM concentrations. Moreover, this study provides evidence that seasonal variation of particulate matter is influenced by meteorological parameters.