Abstract
The process of urbanization and industrialization during las two decades has resulted in increased level of air pollution causing hazards to human health. Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) using short and long term irradiation has been employed for the determination of more than 30 elements in suspended particulate matter (SPM) from six metropolitan cities and three industrial surroundings. A comparison of mean elemental contents in dust particulates from commercial, industrial and residential zones of Delhi, Calcutta, Madras, Cochin, Bombay and Nagpur cities has shown wide variation in toxic pollutant (As, Br, Cr, Cu, Hg and Sb) concentrations. Coastal areas have shown higher concentrations of Na, K, Cl and Br. Highly industrialized Bombay showed highest levels of Br, Cl, Cr, Fe, Mg, P, Rb and Sc. Mean elemental contents in fugitive and ambient dust of a cement factory and thermal power station (both in central India) are widely different. SPM levels in fugitive dust of the two industrial surroundings are higher by an order of magnitude compared to ambient air. Analysis of ambient air dust from a paper mill showed highest concentrations of Hg, Sb and Zn. Elemental data have been compared with those of Urban Particulate Matter (SRM 1648), Coal Fly Ash (SRM 1633a) and Vehicle Exhaust Particulate (NIES No. 8) which were analysed for quality control. An attempt has been made to attribute the elemental contents to possible sources of origin.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
A. C. STERN, R. W. BAUBEL, D. B. TERNER, D. L. FOX, Fundamentals of Air Pollution, Academic Press, Orlando, Florido (1984).
M. J. SUESS, K. GRETEN, D. W. REINISCH, Ambient Air Pollutants From Industrial Sources, Elsevier, Amsterdam (1985).
J. O. NRIAGAU, C. I. DAVIDSON, Toxic Metals in the Atmosphere, John Wiley and Sons, New York (1986).
D. L. FOX, Anal. Chem, 57 (1985) 223R; 63(1991)292R; 65 (1993)156R
N. I. WARD, Sci. Total Environ., 93 (1990) 393.
H. E. HASKETH, Air Pollution Control Ann. Arbor Science Publ. Inc. Michigan (1979).
A. ALIAN, B. SANSONI, in Activation Analysis, Ed. Z. B. Alfassi, CRC Press, Boca Raton (1990) p. 504.
N. I. WARD, S. A. KERR, T. OTSUKA, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 114 (1987) 113.
J. MORSELLI, S. ZAPPOLI, M. GALLORINI and E. RIZZIO, Analyst, 113 (1988) 1575.
J. J. FARDY, G. D. McORIST, Y. J. FARRAR, J. Radioanal Nucl. Chem., 113 (1989) 217
R. DAMS, Pure and Appl. Chem., 64 (1992) 991.
J. BOGEN, Atmos. Environ., 7 (1973) 1117.
M. N. AMBULKAR, N. L. CHUTKE, A. L. AGGARWAL, A. N. GARG, Sci. Total Environ. 141 (1994) 93.
M. N. AMBULKAR, N. L. CHUTKE, A. N. GARG, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 173 (1993) 365.
N. L. CHUTKE, M. N. AMBULKAR, A. L. AGGARWAL, A. N. GARG, Environ. Pollution, 85 (1993) In Press.
R. G. WEGINWAR, D. L. SAMUDRALWAR, A. N. GARG, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 133 (1989) 317.
R. L. KOROTEV, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 110 (1987) 159.
S. MUKHERJEE, M. K. RAY, Indian J. Environmental Protection, 11 (1991) 883.
National Bureau of Standards, Certificate of Analysis, Urban Particulate Matter SRM 1648, Washington DC (1882).
K. OKAMOTO, Anal. Sci., 3 (1987) 191.
E. BERMAN, Toxic Metals and Their Analysis, Heyden and Sons, London (1980) pp. 293.
L. PAPA, Environmental Health Criteria for Barium, EHC 107, International Programme in Chemical Safety, World Health Organization Geneva (1990) pp. 221.
E. MERIAN, Ed. Metals and their compounds in the environment, Occurence, Analysis and Biological Relevance, VCH, Weinheim, 1991.
Environmental Health Critria for Mercury, EHC 88, International Programme in Chemical Safety, World Health Organization, Geneva, (1987) p. 14.
H. W. Nurnburg, Ed. Pollutants and Their Ecotoxicological Significance, John Wiley & Sons Ltd. (1985) pp 514.
J. E. FERGUSSON, C. STEWART, Sci. Total Environ. 121 (1992) 247.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Garg, A.N., Chutke, N.L., Ambulkar, M.N. et al. An environmental pollution study of Indian metropolitan cities and Industrial surroundings by INAA. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Articles 192, 307–320 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02041735
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02041735