Pollution Research Paper

SEASONAL VARIATIONS OF AMBIENT AIR QUALITYPARAMETERS OF SOME SELECTED SITES OF ASANSOL SUBDIVISIONUNDER ASANSOL DURGAPUR DEVELOPMENTAUTHORITY (ADDA), WEST BENGAL, INDIA

SABYASACHI MUKHOPADHYAY AND APURBA RATAN GHOSH

Abstract

Present study has been made to measure the status of ambient air quality and impacts of airpollutants on the surrounding regions of Asansol sub-division of Asansol Durgapur DevelopmentAuthority (ADDA), West Bengal, India. Ambient air quality status was evaluated to monitor withrespect to Respirable suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM<10μ), Suspended Particulate Matter(SPM), SO2, NO2, and Carbon monoxide (CO) during two consecutive years (2014 and 2015). Sixselected sites, two in each of three referring sites, namely control or non-industrial, semi-industrial,and industrial were considered for monitoring in three seasons (i.e., winter, summer, andmonsoon). Sampling was done for 24 hr for RSPM (<10μ), SPM, SO2, NO2, and 1 hr for carbonmonoxide (CO). Meteorological parameters such as air temperature, relative humidity, barometricpressure, smell or odour and weather conditions were also taken into consideration. RSPM in 2014was higher in winter concentration (155.3±78.6 μg/m3) in comparison to summer (138.1±75.1 μg/m3)and rainy (120.3±62.9 μg/m3); and in 2015, the average values of RSPM were 130.5±60.8 μg/m3 inwinter, 115.0±56 μg/m3 in summer and 95.6±50.2 μg/m3 in rainy season. In 2014, SPM values were702.4 μg/m3, 687.6 μg/m3 and 610.8 μg/m3 as maximum concentration in winter, summer and rainyseason respectively; and maximum concentration of SPM was recorded in winter, summer andrainy seasons (605.1 μg/m3, 578.3 μg/m3, 452.1 μg/m3 respectively) in 2015. During winter, summer,and rainy, the value of SO2 were 9.79±1.341 μg/m3, 9.112±1.475 μg/m3, and 8.772±1.31 μg/m3respectively in 2014; and 10.215±2.313 μg/m3, 9.257±1.883 μg/m3, and 8.965±1.426 μg/m3 respectivelyin 2015. The average concentration of NO2 in the study area for winter, summer and rainy were42.06±6.93 μg/m3, 37.77±3.84 μg/m3 and 33.98±6.24 μg/m3 respectively in 2014; whereas, in 2015, therewere 40.06±2.78 ìg/m3, 37.96±3.74 μg/m3 and 36.96±3.7 μg/m3 respectively. During winter season, themean concentrations of carbon monoxide in 2014 and 2015 were recorded as 1.043±0.511 mg/m3, and0.976±0.571 mg/ m3 respectively. From these results it can be concluded that there were a sharpseasonal variations among the air pollutants and the impacts were more significant, due to highconcentration in winter compared to other seasons of study.