Particulate pollution in an underground car park in Wuhan,China

Particulate matter (PM) pollution in an underground car park in Wuhan was investigated. Mass concentrations of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 were obtained using gravimetric method. Selected metal elements, such as Fe, Mn, Zn, Pb, and Cu in PM₁₀ samples, were determined using atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS). Beta attenuation method was applied to observe the hourly variation of PM₁₀ levels. Results show that average PM₁₀ concentrations at the entrance and at the exit were 101.3 μg/m³ and 234.4 μg/m³, respectively, and average PM_2.5 concentrations at the entrance and at the exit were 47.7 μg/m³ and 62.7 μg/m³, respectively. PM pollution was worse at the exit than at the entrance. Hourly PM₁₀ concentration was weakly correlated with traffic flow. Regarding element concentrations, the most enriched element in PM₁₀ samples was Fe. Re-suspension of soil dust at the exit is an important source of PM₁₀.