Elemental analysis of atmospheric aerosols in Gaborone

Abstract

Aerosols are mixture of solid and liquid particles and have considerable variation in terms of their chemical composition and size. In this study the elemental composition of aerosol particles in the atmosphere of a city, Gaborone, was carried out. The elemental analysis was done by environmental
scanning electron microscope (ESEM). The results clearly show that the composition of the particles observed was very complex. It also showed the presence of elements Al, Si, Fe, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Na, Cu, Pb, Ti, Ni, Pt, Au and Cr. The most frequently occurred element was silicon and the least frequently occurred element was platinum. Our measurements also revealed that the elements which had an
amount more than 90% were copper, lead, nickel and gold.