Impact of wind speed on the concentration of PM2.5 in ambient air

Abstract

Twenty-four hour measurements of PM2.5 particulate matter have been carried out during the period between the 22nd January and the 25th February 2013 in a suburban area of Belgrade. PM2.5 samples were collected on 47 mm filters, with the use of Sven Leckel gravimetric samplers, while a meteorological station recorded meteorological data nearby the sampling instrumentation. The daily average PM2.5 concentrations were in the range of 7,05 μg m-3 to 76,43 μg m-3 . Wind direction in combination with wind speed is an important factor for pollutant transportation, dispersion and accumulation. A correlative analysis was used to investigate the relationship among PM2.5 concentrations and meteorological parameters (i.e. wind speed). A negative correlation between wind speed and the concentration of PM2.5 was observed based on the measurements: lower particle concentrations were registered at higher wind speeds.