Universität zu Köln

Hamidi, Mehdi ORCID: 0000-0002-7376-3303, Ghobadi, Tahoora, Shao, Yaping ORCID: 0000-0002-2041-5479, Fallah, Bijan, Rostami, Masoud and Mao, Rui (2025). Investigation of the role of southwestern Asia dust events on urban air pollution: a case study of Ahvaz, a highly polluted city. Scientific Reports, 15 (1). pp. 1-10. Springer Nature. ISSN 2045-2322

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Abstract

[Artikel-Nr.: 21981] Investigating aerosol composition and particle dynamics in densely populated and polluted urban centers is crucial for understanding and managing urban air quality. Ahvaz, in southwestern Iran, consistently ranks among the most polluted cities globally, primarily due to high PM 10 concentrations. This study analyzes trends in suspended particle concentrations in Ahvaz over a 12-year period (2008–2019) to identify the contributions of natural and anthropogenic sources to air pollution. Diurnal, monthly, and annual variations in PM 10 and PM 2.5 levels were examined, revealing key insights into the city’s pollution dynamics. Diurnal PM 10 peaks around noon (232 µg/m 3 ), mainly driven by natural dust sources, with minimal anthropogenic impact indicated by similar weekend and weekday concentrations (only 1.5% difference). Monthly analysis reveals significant dust activity in June and July (maximum PM 10 concentration of 388.18 µg/m 3 ), while higher PM 2.5 levels in winter (average 54.8 µg/m 3 ) are attributed to fossil fuel combustion. The PM 2.5 /PM 10 ratio (mean = 0.24) highlights the dominance of coarse particles from dust events, especially in summer. The Hoffmann classification identifies 3425 dusty days in the study period, with PM 10 levels notably higher due to dust sources in southern Iraq and southwestern Iran. Seasonal wind patterns, particularly Shamal winds, facilitate dust transport, corroborated by Windrose and PM 10 rose data. The study underscores the need for regional dust suppression strategies in southern Iraq and southwestern Iran to mitigate air pollution in Ahvaz, highlighting the importance of regional cooperation.

Item Type:	Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Hamidi, Mehdi UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7376-3303 UNSPECIFIED Ghobadi, Tahoora UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Shao, Yaping UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2041-5479 UNSPECIFIED Fallah, Bijan UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Rostami, Masoud UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Mao, Rui UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-809510
Identification Number:	10.1038/s41598-025-07634-x
Journal or Publication Title:	Scientific Reports
Volume:	15
Number:	1
Page Range:	pp. 1-10
Number of Pages:	10
Date:	1 July 2025
Publisher:	Springer Nature
ISSN:	2045-2322
Language:	English
Faculty:	Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Divisions:	Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences > Department of Geosciences > Institute for Geophysics and Meteorology
Subjects:	Earth sciences Geography and travel
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language Dust events and particle matters ; Middle east and southwestern Asia ; Ahvaz ; Aerosol composition ; Hoffmann classification English
['eprint_fieldname_oa_funders' not defined]:	Publikationsfonds UzK
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/80951