Impact of fugitive emissions in ambient PM levels and composition: a case study in Southeast Spain

The results of this study show the high impact that anthropogenic fugitive emissions of mineral dust have on air quality (levels of PM(10), PM(2.5) and some metals) in a region in SE Spain named L'Alacantí. This could be extensive to other areas of Europe with similar characteristics. Fugitive emissions, such as those arising from large public construction works, cement and ceramic manufacturing, mining, heavy industries, handling and transport of powdered raw materials and road dust, are very often left out of emission monitoring and inspections in Europe. The comparative study of daily PM(10) series in the area shows how the increase of annual average PM(10) concentrations over 40 microg/m(3) is due to extreme episodes occurring in 2006 and 2007, at a regional scale, given the simultaneous recording of PM episodes at distant monitoring sites. The annual average values of the PM(10) concentrations were close to or slightly higher than 40 microg/m(3) (limit value of Directive 2008/50/CE) during 2006-2007 (Alicante-University 39-41, Agost 40-42, Sant Vicent 42-46, Alicante-El Plà 40-42 microg/m(3)). The main PM(10) sources in the zone were identified with the assistance of the PMF receptor model. Six common factors were determined, mineral as a main source (37% at Agost and 32% at Sant Vicent), road traffic, secondary sulfate, petroleum coke, sea spray and industry. Mineralogical studies, with XRD and SEM-EDX techniques, support the hypothesis that the highest PM episodes are associated to fugitive emissions of mineral matter. Despite the fact that L'Alacantí region is a heavily industrialized area with two cement plants and a significant number of ceramic manufacturing plants, the fugitive emissions may have accounted for the exceedances of the PM limit values during these two years, part of them caused by the construction of a highway. These results may contribute to the interpretation of prior studies on source apportionment carried out in Southern Europe, with very high loads of anthropogenic dust in PM(10) and PM(2.5).