Settlement of particulate matter in a ceramic cluster (NE, Spain) during the years 2000–2005

The economic and industrial development achieved in our society is reducing air quality, with far-reaching effects on health, vegetation, climate, and historic monuments. Air pollution can be caused by factories, heavy traffic, agriculture, or other sources. One of the main pollutants in air is particulate matter. This particulate material includes settleable particles > 32 μm that remains airborne for relatively short periods of time and can be later sedimented, thus, the effects are most pronounced in the vicinity of the emitting sources. The study area is located in the town of Alcora, which is in the eastern region of the province of Castellón (Spain). The municipality of Alcora has a high density of industry, with a significant number of companies in the chemical and non-metallic mineral products industry. The area has a high traffic density due to the proximity of the town to various roads. These two factors point to a high concentration of atmospheric particulate pollutants. The aim of this study is to conduct a retrospective examination of changes in settleable particulate concentrations (quantify and measure concentrations), in the period between January 2000 and December 2005 and then analyse the particles to determine the mineralogical composition and origin of these particles. The work done indicated that the concentration levels of particulate sediments are within the allowable limits. Only twice were these values exceeded because of high precipitation and particulate intrusion from North Africa. The main mineral phases in the settleable particulate were quartz, illite and kaolinite, resulting from the activities of milling and grinding of raw materials used in the ceramic industry.