CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF FINE PARTICULATE MATTER (PM2.5) USING X-RAY FLUORESCENCE AND ION EXCHANGE CHROMATOGRAPHY METHODS

• Main Author: Kusmartini, Indah
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Kimia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/77312
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) refers to airborne particles with a diameter ? 2.5 µm and is considered the most hazardous air pollutant parameter as it can penetrate deep into human organs upon deposition. PM2.5 contains various chemical compositions ranging from major to trace levels, corresponding to emissions generated by surrounding pollutant sources. The chemical component plays a crucial role in identifying the sources of air pollutant contamination, which is essential for formulating appropriate strategies in environmental quality management. Therefore, characterization methods that can simultaneously, selectively, and accurately detect chemical compositions, even at trace levels, are highly necessary. This research focuses on the characterization of PM2.5 in Bandung City using X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Ion Exchange Chromatography methods. The activities conducted include PM2.5 sampling (June 2022-March 2023), determination of particulate mass concentration, homogeneity testing, method validation using standard reference materials (SRM 2783#114 Air Particulate and rainwater reference material), chemical species characterization, and health risk analysis. The homogeneity test results using the F-test indicate sample homogeneity with no significant differences observed. The XRF method validation yields satisfactory results with accuracy ranging from 92% to 101%, repeatability < 0.5%CVHorwitz, internal reproducibility < 0.67%CVHorwitz, linearity with an R2 value of approximately 1, and spectrum selectivity for Fe at an energy of 6.38 keV and intensity of 17,749 cps. The validation of the Ion Exchange Chromatography method also demonstrates a good performance with accuracy ranging from 89% to 110%, repeatability < 0.5%CVHorwitz, internal reproducibility < 0.67%CV Horwitz, linearity with an R2 value of approximately 1, and selectivity obtained from retention time with %RSD values less than 1%. The PM2.5 mass concentrations during the sampling period ranged from 7.32 µg/m3 to 86.53 µg/m3 , with an average of 30.67 µg/m3 , which is below the daily air quality standard (55 µg/m3). However, 6% of the total samples exceeded the daily air quality standard. Chemical composition characterization of the PM2.5 samples revealed the presence of Mg, Al, Si, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Br, Pb, SO4 2- , NO3 - , and NH4 + with multi-element contributions (~5%) and anioncation contributions accounting for 70 – 80% of the total PM2.5 mass concentration. Health risk analysis based on Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR) for carcinogenic effects and Hazard Quotient (HQ) for non-carcinogenic effects both indicated values below 10-4 and 1, respectively, suggesting that the received exposure is within safe limits. The results obtained in this study provide a comprehensive understanding of the environmental quality and the level of exposure experienced by the residents of Bandung City.