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Characterization of particulate matter in the Caribbean area

Authors:
  • KaruSphère Laboratory

Abstract

The Caribbean area, made up of several archipelagos, is frequently subject to the passages of sands air masses from the African coasts. This natural pollution adds to the aerosol regimes of the Lesser Antilles arc. The latter are mainly composed of marine aerosols, particle linked to volcanic and local anthropogenic activities. Many measures canals are located on the islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Barbados. More specifically the Aeronet network and ground-based measurements of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters less than or equal to 2.5 and 10 µm (PM2.5 and PM10). Thus, the study of PM2.5/PM10 ratio combined with the optical analysis of the Volume Particle Size Distribution (VPSD) allowed to refine the characterization of the pollution while measuring the induced health impact. Indeed, the PM2.5/PM10 ratio is an indicator relating to the particulate pollution in the atmospheric boundary layer and is also a health barometer. Furthermore, the VPSD profiles highlight the type of particle linked to PM2.5/PM10 ratios identified.
Characterization of particulate matter in the
Caribbean area
esum´e
Abstract
The Caribbean area, made up of several archipelagos, is frequently subject to the passages
of sands air masses from the African coasts (1). This natural pollution adds to the aerosol
regimes of the Lesser Antilles arc (2). The latter are mainly composed of marine aerosols,
particle linked to volcanic and local anthropogenic activities. Many measures canals are
located on the islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Barbados. More
specifically the Aeronet network and ground-based measurements of particulate matter with
aerodynamic diameters less than or equal to 2.5 and 10 µm (PM2.5 and PM10). Thus, the
study of PM2.5/PM10 ratio combined with the optical analysis of the Volume Particle Size
Distribution (VPSD) allowed to refine the characterization of the pollution while measur-
ing the induced health impact. Indeed, the PM2.5/PM10 ratio is an indicator relating to
the particulate pollution in the atmospheric boundary layer and is also a health barometer.
Furthermore, the VPSD profiles highlight the type of particle linked to PM2.5/PM10 ratios
identified.
References
(1) Euphrasie-Clotilde, L., Plocoste, T., Feuillard, T., Velasco-Merino, C., Mateos, D.,
Toledano, C., Brute, F.-N., Bassette, C., Gobinddass, M., 2020. Assessment of a new de-
tection threshold for PM10 concentrations linked to African dust events in the Caribbean
Basin. Atmospheric Environment. 117354.
(2) Plocoste, T., Carmona-Cabezas, R., Jim´enez-Hornero, F.J., Guti´errez de Rav´e, E., 2021.
Background PM10 atmosphere: In the seek of a multifractal characterization using complex
networks. Journal of Aerosol Science. 155, 105777.
Mots-Cl´es: Optical data, VPSD, PM2.5/PM10 ratio, Caribbean area
sciencesconf.org:jobim2023:460843
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Article
In the literature, several epidemiological studies have already associated respiratory and cardiovascular diseases to acute exposure of mineral dust. However, frail people are also sensitive to chronic exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter 10 μm or less (𝑃𝑀10). Consequently, it is crucial to better understand 𝑃𝑀10 fluctuations at all scales. This study investigates 𝑃𝑀10 background atmosphere in the Caribbean area according to African dust seasonality with complex network framework. For that purpose, the regular Visibility Graph (VG) and the new Upside-Down Visibility Graph (UDVG) are used for a multifractal analysis. Firstly, concentration vs degree (v-k) plots highlighted that high degree values (hubs behavior) are related to the highest 𝑃𝑀10 concentrations in VG while hubs is associated to the lowest concentrations in UDVG, i.e. probably the background atmosphere. Then, the degree distribution analysis showed that VG and UDVG difference is reduced for high dust season contrary to the low one. As regards the multifractal analysis, the multifractal degree is higher for the low season in VG while it is higher for the high season in UDVG. The degree distribution behavior and the opposite trend in multifractal degree for UDVG are due to the increase of 𝑃𝑀10 background atmosphere during the high season, i.e. from May to September. To sum up, UDGV is an efficient tool to perform noise fluctuations analysis in environmental time series where low concentrations play an important role as well.
Article
The Lesser Antilles is an intermediate zone located between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. This area is frequently affected by the major long range Saharan dust transportation from West African desert sources. The aerosols optical properties are provided by the AEronet Robotic NETwork (AERONET) measurement sites in Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, and Barbados. Thus, Aerosols Optical Depth (AOD), Angstrom Exponent (AE), Volume Particle Size Distribution (VPSD), complex refractive indexes, and Single Scattering Albedo (SSA) were used to define the predominant type of atmospheric particles namely sea salt aerosols, mineral dust or aerosols mixture. Obtained results show that aerosols in the atmospheric column (AOD) and surface dust measurements (PM10) are well correlated with correlation coefficients of 0.72 and 0.81 respectively for Puerto Rico, and Guadeloupe. Detailed analysis of optical data associated to daily PM10 concentrations highlighted that dust phenomenon can be observable below PM10 threshold of 50 μg∕m3 given by the European directives to detect dust episodes. Indeed, for Caribbean islands, episodes of desert dust phenomenon have been detected from 35 μg∕m3. The climatological assessment of monthly dust events observed in Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, and Martinique between 2006 and 2016 highlighted a low dust season from November to February and a high dust season from May to August. Both seasons are separated by two transition dust periods: March to April and September to October. Lastly, the day-to-day back trajectories (NOAA-HYSPLIT) illustrated the general atmospheric circulation and show three main dust transportation routes: the North West African Path (62.7%); the South West African Path (20.8%) ; and the North East Atlantic Path (15.1%). By computing the average PM10 concentrations bring from each path, we notice that South West African Path is the most loaded in mineral dust because he comes from one of the most persistently active and intense dust sources in the world, i.e. Bodélé Depression in northern Chad.
Optical data, VPSD, PM2.5/PM10 ratio, Caribbean area sciencesconf
  • Mots-Clés
Mots-Clés: Optical data, VPSD, PM2.5/PM10 ratio, Caribbean area sciencesconf.org:jobim2023:460843