Assessment of ambient air PM_(10) and PM_(2.5) and characterization of PM_(10) in the city of Kanpur, India

摘要

This research was initiated to study the air quality in the city of Kanpur, India in terms of PM_(10) and PM_(2.5) and chemical composition in terms of heavy metals and benzene-soluble organic fraction (BSOF) for PM_(10). Three sampling locations, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) (control site), Vikas Nagar (VN) (commercial site) and Juhi Colony (JC) (residential site) were selected. Total forty-seven 24-h samples were collected for PM_(2.5) and PM_(10) during October 2002-February 2003 at these locations. The collected PM_(10) samples were subjected to chemical analysis for determination of heavy metals and toxic organic fraction by measuring BSOF. PM_(10) (45-589 μg m~(-3)), PM_(2.5) (25-200 μg m~(-3)), BSOF (1-170 μg m~(-3)) and heavy metals were highest at VN followed by JC and IIT. The study concluded that the overall air quality in the city of Kanpur was much inferior to other cities in India and abroad. Similar to PM_(10) and PM_(2.5), heavy metals were almost 5-10 times higher than levels in European cities. The study concluded that there was a need to address the issue of PM_(2.5) monitoring and control. Because regular PM_(2.5) monitoring may take some time, a linear model for predicting PM_(2.5) using routinely monitored parameters PM_(10) and BSOF was suggested for preliminary assessment. The model was checked for its adequacy and it was validated.