Carbonaceous components in airborne nanoparticles (PM_0.1) during the dry season in the urban area of Phnom Penh City, Cambodia

¹ Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Kakuma, 920-1192 Kanazawa, Japan
² Faculty of Geosciences and Civil Engineering, Institute of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kakuma, 920-1192 Kanazawa, Japan
³ Faculty of Chemical and Food Engineering, Institute of Technology of Cambodia, Russian Federation Blvd., P.O. Box 86, 120404 Phnom Penh, Cambodia
⁴ Faculty of Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering, Institute of Technology of Cambodia, Russian Federation Blvd, PO Box 86, 120404 Phnom Penh, Cambodia
⁵ Research and Innovation Center, Institute of Technology of Cambodia, Russian Federation Blvd., P.O. Box 86, 120404 Phnom Penh, Cambodia
⁶ Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo, 852-8521 Nagasaki, Japan

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Airborne particulate matter (PM), typically PM0.1, could pose serious health and environmental risks, especially in rapidly growing low- and middle-income countries where environmental control measures and healthcare access are limited. This study investigated the carbon components in PM0.1 compared with those in total suspended particulates (TSP) collected from two different locations in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The diurnal and nocturnal variations were also observed. Aerosol sampling was conducted on a single day of each week, during the high pollution period from January to April 2024. Ambient Nanoparticle Sampler (ANS) and a high-volume sampler (HV) were used to capture PM fractions down to PM_0.1 and TSP, respectively. The results show a significant increase in the organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) during nighttime at both locations. Between locations, ITC indicated the higher OC and EC compared to MoE. However, the total of nanoparticulate OC and EC mainly contributed to those of the TSP in a great portion, up to 25-50%.