Assessing the impacts of airborne particulate matter from plastic burning and personal care products

Airborne fine particulate matter (PM) is linked to many negative human health effects, such as cardiovascular and respiratory issues. To effectively manage air quality to protect human health, it is necessary to identify and evaluate the impact of PM sources in the atmosphere. This dissertation examines the impact of two globally important yet under-assessed sources of PM, plastic burning and personal care products, via field-based assessments. Plastic burning, a globally important source of PM, is examined by the quantification of 1,3,5-triphenylbenzene (TPB), an aromatic compound used as a molecular tracer for PM produced via plastic burning. Thermal desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is applied for the quantitation of TPB in PM samples collected in urban and rural areas in the USA and Bangladesh. The impacts of plastic burning in the USA were estimated to range from 0.3–3% of PM for most locations, and up to 7% for an urban site during the winter. In Bangladesh, estimated plastic burning impacts on PM were estimated to range from 0.6–15% of PM. Plastic burning impacts on PM tended to be greatest in urban areas, with lower concentrations in sub-urban areas, and non-detects occurring in only one extremely remote location. These results suggest that plastic burning is a widespread source of ambient PM, with potentially large impacts in urban areas where plastic is commonly burned.