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Air quality study of Islamabad: preliminary results

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Abstract

Over a 1,000 pairs of coarse and fine filters were collected using Gent samplers and polycarbonate filters from three sites in Islamabad from the period 1998 to 2010. The black carbon in these samples was determined by reflectance measurement while their elemental composition were determined using the techniques of instrumental neutron activation analysis, ion beam analysis and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Islamabad is a well planned and relatively small city as compared to Lahore or Karachi therefore its air quality is better than the air quality of other major Pakistani cities. It was found that the new air quality standards being implemented by the Pakistani government on the 1st of January 2012 may not be attained even in Islamabad without the implementation of control and remedial measures. An overview of the elemental data obtained and calculation of enrichment factors shows that the particles in Islamabad originate from re-suspended soil, vehicular emissions and coal combustion. However further work is required for identification of pollution sources and their origin.

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Acknowledgments

The work presented in this paper was financially and technically supported under the RCA IAEA Project No. RAS/8/082 and RAS/7/013, by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan. The authors also acknowledge the support provided by Mr. Lal Habib, the staff at the NAA/MNSR Laboratory and the services of the Reactor Operations Group at PINSTECH.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemistry Division, Directorate of Science, Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH), P.O. Nilore, Islamabad, 45650, Pakistan

    N. Siddique, S. Waheed & M. Daud

  2. National Isotope Centre, Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited, 30 Gracefield Road, Gracefield 5010, PO Box 30-368, Lower Hutt, 5040, New Zealand

    A. Markwitz

  3. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Centre for Air Resources Engineering and Science, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY, 136999-5708, USA

    P. K. Hopke

Authors
  1. N. Siddique
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  2. S. Waheed
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  3. M. Daud
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  4. A. Markwitz
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  5. P. K. Hopke
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to N. Siddique.

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Siddique, N., Waheed, S., Daud, M. et al. Air quality study of Islamabad: preliminary results. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 293, 351–358 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-012-1674-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-012-1674-5

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