| Title: | Understanding seasonal variation in ambient air quality and its relationship with crop residue burning activities in an agrarian state of India |
| Author(s): | Mor S; Singh T; Bishnoi NR; Bhukal S; Ravindra K; |
| Address: | "Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar, Haryana, 125001, India. sahilevs@yahoo.com. Department of Environment Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India. Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar, Haryana, 125001, India. Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, -160012, India" |
| Journal Title: | Environ Sci Pollut Res Int |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s11356-021-15631-6 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1614-7499 (Electronic) 0944-1344 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "In India, Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) is becoming the hotspot of air pollution due to increasing anthropogenic activities such as rapid industrial growth, infrastructure development, transportation activities, and seasonal practice of crop residue burning. In the current study, seasonal variation in ambient air quality for 14 parameters, i.e., particulate matter (PM), trace gases, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), along with meteorological parameters, was studied in 21 districts of the Haryana state for year 2019, situated in IGP. To analyze spatial variation of pollutants, ambient air quality data of 23 continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations were divided into three zones based on ecology and cropping pattern. All the zones showed annual mean PM(10) and PM(2.5) concentrations much higher than national ambient air quality standards. Annual mean PM(10) concentration (+/-standard deviation) in Zones-1, 2, and 3 was 156+/-86, 174+/-93, and 143+/-74 mug m(-3), whereas for PM(2.5) was 71+/-44, 85+/-54, and 78+/-47 mug m(-3). The results showed a considerable seasonal variation in the concentration of all pollutants. Most of the pollutants peak in the post-monsoon season, followed by winters in which crop residue burning predominates in many parts of the Haryana. PM(10) concentrations increased by 65-112% and PM(2.5) concentrations increased by 131-147% in the post-monsoon season compared to monsoons. The post-monsoon season showed the highest concentration of PM(10), NO, and toluene (Zone-1); and PM(2.5), NH(3), CO, and benzene (Zone-2); whereas in winters, SO(2) (Zone-1); ethylbenzene, m,p-xylene, and xylene (Zone-2); and NO(2) and NOx (Zone-3) showed the maximum pollution levels. The O(3) concentration was highest in the pre-monsoon season (Zone-1). The satellite-based fire counts and PCA results show a significant influence of crop residue burning in the post-monsoon season and solid biomass burning in winters on Haryana's air quality. The study could help to understand seasonal variation in ambient air quality and the influence of factors such as crop residue burning in the IGP region, which could help to formulate season-specific control measures to improve regional air quality" |
| Keywords: | *Air Pollutants/analysis *Air Pollution/analysis Anthropogenic Effects Environmental Monitoring India Particulate Matter/analysis Seasons Agricultural residue burning Fire counts Igp Industrial emissions Pm2.5 Seasonal variations; |
| Notes: | "MedlineMor, Sahil Singh, Tanbir Bishnoi, Narsi Ram Bhukal, Santosh Ravindra, Khaiwal eng Germany 2021/08/19 Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2022 Jan; 29(3):4145-4158. doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-15631-6. Epub 2021 Aug 17" |
