A comparative study of airborne particulate matter levels around Malta

Abstract

The extents of atmospheric pollution due to the presence of airborne particulate matter is a very concerning environmental issue. This is especially true in the light of the high population density characterizing our islands. This study presents a brief overview of the possible nature of airborne particulate matter together with some major health considerations associated with the presence of such pollutants in the atmosphere. It is believed that locally, the major sources of airborne particulate pollutants are definitely the Power Stations, both of which operate on fossil-fuel combustion. In this study however, the extents of vehicular particulate emissions are tentatively estimated using a very modest technique. Air sampling was run during low and high traffic hours in some major roads around Malta in an attempt to estimate levels of particulate matter to which the local population may be exposed. The results obtained should be placed in perspective of the various technical constraints such as the limited apparatus employed in this study. Our islands are perceived not only as a source of particulate matter in the atmosphere but, their central position in the Mediterranean exposed to winds from all directions at all times of year, makes the Maltese islands susceptible to impacts of particulate matter of foreign origins. Thus, this makes the interaction of particulate matter with our islands a very complex one, definitely requiring much more elaborate study.