Abstract
Fine particulate (PM2.5) bound non-polar organic compounds (NPOCs) and associated diagnostic parameters were studied at Jammu, an urban location in the foothills of North-Western Himalayan Region. PM2.5 was collected daily (24 h, once a week) over a year to assess monthly and seasonal variations in NPOC concentration and their source(s) activity. Samples were analyzed on thermal desorption-gas chromatography mass spectrometry to identify and quantify source-specific organic markers. Homologous series of n-alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), isoprenoid hydrocarbons and nicotine were investigated to understand the sources of aerosols in the region. The annual mean concentration of PM2.5 during the sampling period was found higher than the permissible limit of India’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines. The rise of concentration for PM2.5 and associated NPOCs in summer season was attributed to enhanced emission. The n-alkane-based diagnostic parameters indicated mixed contributions of NPOCs from anthropogenic sources like fossil fuel-related combustion with significant inputs from biogenic emission. Moreover, high influence of petrogenic contribution was observed in summer (monsoon) months. The quantifiable amounts of isoprenoid hydrocarbons further confirmed this observation. Total PAH concentration also followed an increasing trend from March to June, and June onwards a sharp decrease was observed. The higher concentration of environmental tobacco smoke marker nicotine in winter months was plausibly due to lower air temperature and conditions unfavourable to photo-degradation. A clear dominance of low molecular weight PAHs was noticed with rare presence of toxic PAHs in the ambient atmosphere of Jammu. PAH-based diagnostic parameters suggested substantial contribution from low temperature pyrolysis processes like biomass/crop-residue burning, wood and coal fire in the region. Specific wood burning markers further confirmed this observation.
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Abbreviations
- ACL:
-
Average chain length
- BBs:
-
Box blanks
- CA:
-
Carbonaceous aerosols
- CCN:
-
Cloud condensation nuclei
- C max :
-
Carbon number of the most abundant n-alkane
- CPCB:
-
Central pollution control board
- CPI:
-
Carbon preference index
- DCF:
-
Dilution correction factor
- Dp:
-
Dew point
- EBs:
-
Equipment blanks
- ETS:
-
Environmental tobacco smoke
- HMW:
-
High molecular weight
- IBs:
-
Instrument blanks
- KMO:
-
Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin
- LMW:
-
Low molecular weight
- MDRs:
-
Molecular diagnostic ratios
- MFC:
-
Mass flow controller
- NAAQS:
-
National ambient air quality standards
- NIST:
-
National institute of standards and testing
- NOAA-HYSPLIT:
-
National oceanic and atmospheric administration-the hybrid single particle lagrangian integrated trajectory model
- NPOCs:
-
Non-polar organic compounds
- NWHR:
-
North-Western Himalayan Region
- OCs:
-
Organic compounds
- PAHs:
-
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
- PBL:
-
Planetary boundary layer
- PCA:
-
Principal component analysis
- PM:
-
Particulate matter
- PNA:
-
Petrogenic n-alkanes
- RH:
-
Relative humidity
- RT:
-
Retention time
- SMVDS:
-
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine
- TD-GC-MS:
-
Thermal desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry
- TNA:
-
Total n-alkanes
- TPAH:
-
Total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
- WD:
-
Wind direction
- WHO:
-
World health organization
- WINS:
-
Well impactor ninety-six
- WNA:
-
Wax n-alkanes
- WS:
-
Wind speed
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Acknowledgements
We thank NOAA-ARL for providing meteorological data. We are thankful to Prof. Arun K. Attri for providing access to his laboratory facility in School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Prof. Arun K. Attri and Dr. Ajay Kumar have been acknowledged for TD-GC-MS analysis at Advanced Instrumentation Research Facility at Jawaharlal Nehru University. Authors thank anonymous reviewers for their contribution in improving the manuscript.
Funding
This research was funded by University Grants Commission, India, in the form of Major Research Project no. MRP-MAJOR-ENVI-2013-30069 vide file no. 43-332/2014.
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Yadav, S., Bamotra, S. & Tandon, A. Aerosol-associated non-polar organic compounds (NPOCs) at Jammu, India, in the North-Western Himalayan Region: seasonal variations in sources and processes. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 18875–18892 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08374-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08374-3