Using GIS Techniques for Mapping the Pollution of Particulate Materials in Kirkuk

Urban particulate pollution has been recognized as a major problem in emerging major cities in Iraq such as Kirkuk as a result of industrial and man-made pollutions in addition to natural factors such as dust storms. One way of monitoring the atmospheric pollution is to estimate the particulate matter emissions by using a sampling location with advanced measuring techniques.
This article studies the PM10 emissions in Kirkuk city for the period of 2013-2017. The data was obtained form forty-four measuring stations distributed in the study area.

The prediction map of the spatial distribution for the particulate matter (PM10) emission levels was obtained using ArcGIS10.3/ Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation method. The results show that the PM10 emissions are clearly increased in the city's main entrances spatially near the checkpoints due to the exhaust emission from the large trucks and small vehicles. Also, it is found that the higher pollution in the sampling location occurred near the North Oil Company (NOC), which was 460μg/m3. The annual average PM10 pollution in Kirkuk obtained from all stations is about (120.8μg/m3).