The development of air pollution studies in Jamaica. Appendix 12

The results of a survey of air particulate matter collected at an urban site in Kingston, Jamaica for two fractions of suspended particulates are reported. The mean concentration of suspended particulate matter in the <2.5 μm range was 12.4 μg m-3 while the mean for the fraction having diameter between 2.5 and 10 μm was 16.4 μg m-3. The results for selected trace elements obtained by NAA are presented and discussed. The correlation coefficient between Cl and Na concentrations in the particulates was 0.9 and the Cl/Na ratio of 1.4 in the coarse fraction was indicative of sea spray which contribute to more than 10% of the coarse fraction. Vanadium was concentrated in the fine fraction but its average of 0.04 μg m-3 in the fine was still below the level of 1 μg m-3 set by the World Health Organisation. (author)