Air pollution in the city of Prince George: Chemical analysis of particulate matter (PM2.5) contaminants

Air pollution has been an ongoing issue for the City of Prince George, the largest city in northern British Columbia. This research was designed to measure the chemical composition of atmospheric Particulate Matter (PM2.5) in a Prince George neighborhood (i.e., downtown). The main objective of this research was to determine the PM2.5 chemical compositions in two distinct periods: warm and cold. Overall, 153 samples were collected from January to August 2018, using personal air samplers. The highest concentration of PM2.5 was recorded during the 2018 summer wildfires. Chemical composition of the PM2.5 air samples were studied with respect to Cadmium, Potassium, Mercury, Sodium, Lead, Chromium, Iron, Cobalt, Nickel, Manganese, Copper, Titanium, Molybdenum, Phosphorus and Sulphur, in order to evaluate potential sources of air pollutants in the city. The results of this study were compared with PM2.5 averages from other Canadian and international cities. The possibilities of the contribution of some local industrial sources such as pulp and paper, biomass burning, transportation and road dust, on PM2.5 concentration and chemical composition were discussed.