Resuspended Dust as an Indicator of Urban Air Quality in Kuwait

Resuspended dust is a relevant indicator of urban air quality in arid regions, where natural dust events combine with traffic and industrial emissions to influence human exposure to contaminated particles. This study examined resuspended dust from three sites in Kuwait, 1. Mangaf, 2. Fahaheel, and 3. Shuaiba to evaluate spatial differences in chemical contamination and acute toxicity. Samples were analysed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and selected heavy metals, and their biological effects were assessed using a Vibrio fischeri bioluminescence inhibition assay. Ecotoxicity was expressed in the form of Toxic Units (TU), calculated as 100/EC50. The results revealed clear site-specific variation. Total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations ranged from 901.3 mgkg^-1 in Mangaf to 2365.3 mgkg^-1 in Fahaheel and 6602.6 mgkg^-1 in Shuaiba, with higher molecular weight compounds dominating and suggesting combustion related sources. Chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) were detected at all sites, with zinc reaching the highest level in Shuaiba at 329.6 mgkg^-1. Toxicity also differed markedly, with Shuaiba showing the strongest effect, as TU fell in the extremely toxic range. In Mangaf moderate toxicity was detected, and Fahaheel showed an unstable dose response pattern despite elevated contamination. These findings shows that resuspended dust can give a good indication of urban air quality in Kuwait, while its toxic impact depends not only on contaminant levels but also on chemical composition, bioavailability, and mixture interactions.