Search

Air pollution affects cities and countries all over the world. One of the most common air pollutants is particulate matter (PM10) which has a direct impact on people´s health (WHO, 2006). The concentration of this pollutant in the troposphere depends principally on weather conditions. This paper seeks to analyse variations in Bahía Blanca (Argentina) PM10 concentration over time by evaluating the relationship between physical and anthropogenic factors that may influence its dynamics. It was observed that variations in PM10 concentrations are related to both natu- ral and anthropogenic factors. Traffic flow and agroindustrial activities, mainly related to grain transport and storage, promote high pollutant concentrations. This is reflected by marked variations of PM10 concentrations throughout the day and between working and nonworking days. PM10 concentrations are affected by Northern, high speed winds, which cause clouds of dust and smoke very often. In addition, results from this investigation revealed that PM10 concentrations may be related to volcanic activity, as the eruption of the Puyehue- Caulle Range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]