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Evaluation of PM2.5 Sources in Skopje Urban Area Using Positive Matrix Factorization

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Abstract

This source apportionment research was one of the first attempts to quantify the contributions of pollution sources to ambient particulate matter (PM2.5) in the urban area of Skopje. The sampling was conducted at two locations in the city of Skopje, with permanent, year-round coverage. The elemental composition of PM2.5 aerosols was analyzed with non-destructive energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, water-soluble ions were analyzed photometrically, and black carbon was assessed with an optical transmissometer. Positive Matrix Factorization was used for data modelling, and the contribution of each source to total particulate mass (PM2.5) was calculated. Seven main pollution sources were identified for both sites including biomass burning, open fire burning, traffic, fuel/residual oil burning, industry, and soil/mineral dust. Biomass combustion continues to be the largest single source of ambient air pollution and, due to its particular temporal distribution, is most likely the primary cause of extreme wintertime pollution episodes. Despite being fully seasonal, biomass burning provides the greatest annual relative contribution, reaching 32% for the Novo Lisiche site and 33% for the Karposh site, and during the winter months, this source alone contributes beyond the annual PM2.5 limit levels. Traffic is the second most important source. The annual relative contribution of traffic to the total particle mass at the Novo Lisiche site was 23%, and at the Karposh site, it was 18%. Other notable sources include the combustion of fuel/residual oil, soil dust, and open fires burning.

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Availability of Data and Materials

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

AMBICON UGD Lab prepared the Source Apportionment Study for the Skopje Agglomeration as part of the Tackling Air Pollution in the City of Skopje Project, which was implemented by UNDP Skopje and SIDA, the Swedish government agency for development cooperation, with support from the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning and the City of Skopje.

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  1. Faculty of Natural and Technical Sciences, Goce Delcev University, Stip, North Macedonia

    Dejan Mirakovski, Afrodita Zendelska, Blazo Boev, Marija Hadzi-Nikolova, Tena Shijakova-Ivanova, Nikolinka Doneva, Ivan Boev & Gorgi Dimov

  2. AMBICON Laboratory, Goce Delcev University, Stip, North Macedonia

    Dejan Mirakovski, Afrodita Zendelska, Blazo Boev, Marija Hadzi-Nikolova, Tena Shijakova-Ivanova, Elena Doneva & Ana Mihailovska

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  1. Dejan Mirakovski
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Contributions

D.M. and B.B. initiated the research and paper. D.M. and A.Z. wrote the main manuscript text and realize the modelling and prepared all figures. M.HN., N.D., I.B. and G.D. had obligations around the sampling procedure.

A.Z. and T.SI. analyzed filters using XRF E.D. and A.M.—analyzed water-soluble ions using spectrometry and black carbon using Optical Transmissometer. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Afrodita Zendelska.

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Mirakovski, D., Zendelska, A., Boev, B. et al. Evaluation of PM2.5 Sources in Skopje Urban Area Using Positive Matrix Factorization. Environ Model Assess (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10666-024-09961-1

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