This study aims to determine the compositions of surfactants extracted from urban particulate matter (PM) and motor vehicle exhaust soot. A high volume air sampler (HVAS) has been used to collect PM sample at Kuala Lumpur urban area. Meanwhile, the vehicle exhaust soot was collected randomly from exhaust pipe of various types of diesel and petrol vehicles, using a soft brush during dry days. The concentration of anionic surfactants as Methylene Blue Active Substances (MBAS) was determined by the colorimetric method using UV-Vis Spectrophotometer. The presence of microorganisms as bacteria and fungi was investigated by colony count. In addition, correlation between surfactants and traffic related air pollutants, and meteorological factors were also been investigated. Results revealed that the average concentration of PM was 107.68 ± 7.91 μgm-3 while surfactants in PM was 105 ± 48.8 pmolm-3. Diesel vehicles demonstrated higher surfactant concentration in exhaust soot with av.....

398 hits