PM2.5 and aerosol black carbon in Suva, Fiji

Isley, C.F. and Nelson, P.F. and Taylor, M.P. and Mani, Francis S. and Maata, Matakite and Atanacio, A. and Stelcer, E. and Cohen, D.D. (2016) PM2.5 and aerosol black carbon in Suva, Fiji. Atmospheric Environment, 150 . pp. 55-66. ISSN 1352-2310

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Abstract

Concentrations of particulate air pollution in Suva, Fiji, have been largely unknown and consequently,
current strategies to reduce health risk from air pollution in Suva are not targeted effectively. This lack of
air quality data is common across the Pacific Island Countries. A monitoring study, during 2014 and 2015,
has characterised the fine particulate air quality in Suva, representing the most detailed study to date of
fine aerosol air pollutants for the Pacific Islands; with sampling at City, Residential (Kinoya) and Background
(Suva Point) sites. Meteorology for Suva, as it relates to pollutant dispersion for this period of
time, has also been analysed. The study design enables the contribution of maritime air and the
anthropogenic emissions to be carefully distinguished from each other and separately characterised. Back
trajectory calculations show that a packet of air sampled at the Suva City site has typically travelled
724 km in the 24-h prior to sampling, mainly over open ocean waters; inferring that pollutants would
also be rapidly transported away from Suva. For fine particulates, Suva City reported a mid-week PM2.5 of
8.6 ± 0.4 mg/m3, averaged over 13-months of gravimetric sampling. Continuous monitoring (Osiris laser
photometer) suggests that some areas of Suva may experience levels exceeding the WHO PM2.5 guideline
of 10 mg/m3, however, compared to other countries, Fiji's PM2.5 is low. Peak aerosol particulate levels, at
all sites, were experienced at night-time, when atmospheric conditions were least favourable to
dispersion of air pollutants. Suva's average ambient concentrations of black carbon in PM2.5, 2.2 ± 0.1 mg/
m3, are, however, similar to those measured in much larger cities. With any given parcel of air spending
only seven minutes, on average, over the land area of Suva Peninsula, these black carbon concentrations
are indicative that significant combustion emissions occur within Suva. Many other communities in the
Pacific Islands, as well as in Africa, Asia and South America share similar climate and similar burning
practices and as such are likely to experience similar aerosol black carbon loadings. These black carbon
levels indicate the need for combustion emissions, particularly those from open burning and diesel
usage, to be addressed in air policy.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	Q Science > Q Science (General) Q Science > QD Chemistry
Divisions:	Faculty of Science, Technology and Environment (FSTE) > School of Biological and Chemical Sciences
Depositing User:	Francis Mani
Date Deposited:	14 Feb 2017 02:28
Last Modified:	02 Nov 2017 01:52
URI:	https://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/9595

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