Evaluation of the Effects of Closing a Secondary Lead Smelter in a Residential
Area, Cairo, Egypt
Alia A. Shakour, Nadia M. El-Taieb and Mahmoud A. Hassanien
Air Pollution Department, National Research Center, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
Corresponding author: Dr. Mahmoud A. Hassanien
Present address: National Institute of
Environmental Health,
József Fodor National Center for Public Health
Gyáli út 2-6, H-1097 Budapest, Hungary
Telephone: (+36)1 218 3158
Fax number: (+36)1 215 0148
E-mail:
mahmoud@oki1.joboki.hu
Permanent address: Air Research and Pollution
Control Department,
Environmental Protection Research Division,
National Research Center,
Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
Fax number: (+202) 337 0931
CEJOEM 2000, Vol.6. No.1.:25-32
Key words:
Lead smelter, deposited dust, TSP, Pb
Abstract:
The present study aims at evaluating whether airborne lead loading is high enough
to constitute a risk to the population living in the investigated area. It describes
systematic work done to reduce atmospheric lead in the north-eastern residential area
of Cairo, performed on the basis of a governmental decision issued in 1994 to suspend
the activity of the lead smelter in the area under investigation. The collected samples
(dust fall and suspended dust) were analyzed and measured for lead by atomic absorption
spectrophotometry. Atmospheric lead fallout rates in the surroundings of the secondary
lead smelter changed from 5.7 to 1.8 mg · m-2 · day-1
before and after closing the smelter, respectively. In the same time lead concentrations
ranged from 0.015% to 1.2% and 0.07% to 0.16% before and after closing the smelter, respectively.
Generally, a significant decrease of the atmospheric lead concentration depending on distance was
observed in the windward direction. The percentage concentration of lead in total
suspended particulate (TSP) around smelter was 28% and 0.34% before and after closing
the smelter, respectively. These results indicated that the lead smelter was the
predominant source of lead pollution in this residential sector. In addition, it
showed that closing the smelter was an efficient measure to improve air quality in
the investigated area.
Received: 11 July 2000
Accepted: 21 August 2000
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