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Influence of Vehicular Emissions (NO, NO2, CO and NMHCs) on the Mixing Ratio of Atmospheric Ammonia (NH3) in Delhi, India

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Abstract

Mixing ratios of atmospheric ammonia (NH3), nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO), nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHCs), and methane (CH4) were measured to investigate the vehicular emissions, which are a dominant source of atmospheric NH3 in urban sites of Delhi, India from January 2013 to December 2014. The annual average mixing ratios of NH3, NO, CO, NMHCs, and CH4 were 21.2 ± 2.1 ppb, 21.2 ± 6.1 ppb, 1.89 ± 0.18 ppm, 0.67 ± 0.21 ppm and 3.11 ± 0.53 ppm, respectively. Considering NO as a tracer of vehicular plume, ambient NH3 was correlated with NO during peak traffic hour in the morning (7:00–10:00 h) and evening (17:00–19:00 h) and observed significant positive correlation between them. Result reveals that the mixing ratio of atmospheric NH3 significantly positive correlated with traffic related pollutants (NO, CO, and NHHCs) during all the seasons (winter, summer, and monsoon). During winter, the average mixing ratio of atmospheric NH3 was increased by 1.2–3.5 ppb in the morning peak hour, whereas increased by 0.3–1.6 ppb in the evening peak hour. Similarly, an increase in NH3 mixing ratio was observed during summer (morning: 1.2–2.7 ppb and evening: 1.5–1.6 ppb) and monsoon (morning: 0.4–3.6 ppb and evening: 0.9–1.4 ppb) seasons. The results emphasized that the traffic could be one of the dominant source of ambient NH3 at the urban site of Delhi, as illustrated by positive relationships of NH3 with traffic related co-pollutants (NO, CO and NMHCs).

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Director, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi and Head, Environmental Sciences and Biomedical Metrology Division, CSIR-NPL, New Delhi for their encouragement and support. The authors also acknowledge Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi (CMM project; CSIR-EMPOWER Project: OLP-102132), and Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi (Grant No.: SR/S4/AS:12/2008) for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Sciences and Biomedical Metrology Division, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K.S. Krishnan Road, New Delhi, 110012, India

    Garima Kotnala, S. K. Sharma & T. K. Mandal

  2. Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India

    Garima Kotnala, S. K. Sharma & T. K. Mandal

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  1. Garima Kotnala
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  2. S. K. Sharma
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  3. T. K. Mandal
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Correspondence to S. K. Sharma.

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Kotnala, G., Sharma, S.K. & Mandal, T.K. Influence of Vehicular Emissions (NO, NO2, CO and NMHCs) on the Mixing Ratio of Atmospheric Ammonia (NH3) in Delhi, India. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 78, 79–85 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-019-00689-8

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