Heavy metals in air nanoparticles in affected industry area

Abstract

The Moravian-Silesian Region is one of the most polluted sites by dust particles in the Czech Republic. Therefore, atmospheric concentrations of heavy metals as cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, nickel, lead, antimony, thallium, manganese, iron and zinc, were monitored at 10 localities in the region during summer of 2014. Heavy metals were monitored in 10 particle size classes from 18.3 nm to 9.93 mu m. The percentage of the amount of heavy metals in the sum PM at all localities ranged from 0.2-2.5%. It was found that chromium, manganese, iron and zinc were mostly accumulated in dust particles with diameter greater than 1.6 mu m. Lead, cadmium and antimony occur mainly in the class below 0.949 mu m. These metals are more dangerous for human health, and can have potential carcinogenic effect. The influence of metallurgical industry evaluated on the basis of heavy metals in the individual particle size classes in the air within the Moravian-Silesian Region has not been unequivocally demonstrated.