Aromatic hydrocarbons in urban air of Algiers
KERBACHI ; BOUGHEDAOUI ; KEDDAM ; JOUMARD
Type de document
COMMUNICATION AVEC ACTES INTERNATIONAL (ACTI)
Langue
anglais
Auteur
KERBACHI ; BOUGHEDAOUI ; KEDDAM ; JOUMARD
Résumé / Abstract
The analysis of the C6-C16 semi volatile organic compounds shows that a large number of aromatic hydrocarbons are present in the ambient air of Algiers. From those, the major monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, (m,p)- and o-Xylene (BTEX) were quantified. Samples were collected in three locations, at roadside, urban background and rural areas. Near the road traffic, the concentrations were found to be much higher than those found in European cities, where the road traffic density is much more important. The Benzene and Toluene average concentrations were 27 and 39 mg m-3 respectively. Benzene concentrations higher than 40 mg m-3 are often observed. The recorded urban background levels are two to three orders less than the roadside concentrations. At the urban site, the Benzene limit value of 10 mg m-3 are often exceeded. In the rural area, the BTEX concentrations are also relatively high. Measurements at this site seem to be influenced by local emission sources. The compositional pattern and the ratio Toluene to Benzene are in the typical range of urban atmosphere worldwide. The study of the seasonal variation shows a perceptible concentration decrease in summer of the very reactive o-Xylene compound. In Algiers, the high air pollution can be related to the emissions of the old car fleet. There is a poor vehicle maintenance and only a few hundred vehicles are fitted with catalytic converters at the present time.
