Partic. vol. 37 pp. 119-126 (April 2018)
doi: 10.1016/j.partic.2017.04.012

Composition of carbohydrates, surfactants, major elements and anions in PM_2.5 during the 2013 Southeast Asia high pollution episode in Malaysia

Shoffian Amin Jaafar^a, Mohd Talib Latif^a,b,*, Intan Suraya Razak^a, Nurul Bahiyah Abd Wahid^c, Md Firoz Khan^d, Thunwadee Srithawirat^e

talib@ukm.edu.my

Abstract

Haze episodes have become a major concern in Malaysia over the past few decades and have an increasingly important impact on the country each and every year. During haze episodes from biomass burning in Southeast Asia, particularly from Sumatra, Indonesia, particulate matter PM_2.5 is found to be one of the dangerous sources of airborne pollution and is known to seriously affect human health. This study determines the composition of carbohydrates (as levoglucosan), surfactants, major elements, and anions in PM_2.5 during a 2013 haze episode. PM_2.5 samples were collected from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, using a high volume sampler during a seven-day monitoring campaign during the peak of that year’s haze episode. PM_2.5 concentrations ranged between 14.52 and 160.93 μg/m³, exceeding the 2005 WHO air quality guidelines for PM_2.5 (25 μg/m³ for 24-h mean). The patterns for levoglucosan, surfactants, major elements, and anionic compositions were proportional to the PM_2.5 concentrations. Changes in PM_2.5 observed on days 3 and 4 were influenced by a combination of meteorological factors, which substantiate the theory that such factors play a pivotal role in haze episodes.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Aerosol; Biomass burning; Levoglucosan; Surfactant; Haze; Inorganic composition