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Spatio-temporal variation in chemical characteristics of PM10 over Indo Gangetic Plain of India

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Abstract

The paper presents the spatio-temporal variation of chemical compositions (organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), and water-soluble inorganic ionic components (WSIC)) of particulate matter (PM10) over three locations (Delhi, Varanasi, and Kolkata) of Indo Gangetic Plain (IGP) of India for the year 2011. The observational sites are chosen to represent the characteristics of upper (Delhi), middle (Varanasi), and lower (Kolkata) IGP regions as converse to earlier single-station observation. Average mass concentration of PM10 was observed higher in the middle IGP (Varanasi 206.2 ± 77.4 μg m−3) as compared to upper IGP (Delhi 202.3 ± 74.3 μg m−3) and lower IGP (Kolkata 171.5 ± 38.5 μg m−3). Large variation in OC values from 23.57 μg m−3 (Delhi) to 12.74 μg m−3 (Kolkata) indicating role of formation of secondary aerosols, whereas EC have not shown much variation with maximum concentration over Delhi (10.07 μg m−3) and minimum over Varanasi (7.72 μg m−3). As expected, a strong seasonal variation was observed in the mass concentration of PM10 as well as in its chemical composition over the three locations. Principal component analysis (PCA) identifies the contribution of secondary aerosol, biomass burning, fossil fuel combustion, vehicular emission, and sea salt to PM10 mass concentration at the observational sites of IGP, India. Backward trajectory analysis indicated the influence of continental type aerosols being transported from the Bay of Bengal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and surrounding areas to IGP region.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to the Director, CSIR-NPL, New Delhi, and Head Radio and Atmospheric Sciences Division, CSIR-NPL, New Delhi, for their encouragement and support for this study. The authors also acknowledge Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi, for providing financial support for this study (under CSIR-EMPOWER Project: OLP-102132). Authors are thankful to the anonymous reviewers for their constructive suggestions to improve the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Radio and Atmospheric Sciences Division, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K S Krishnan Road, New Delhi, 110 012, India

    S. K. Sharma, T. K. Mandal, Srishti Jain, M. Saxena,  Saraswati & A. Sharma

  2. Department of Geophysics, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221 005, India

    M. K. Srivastava & B. P. Singh

  3. Centre for Astroparticle Physics and Space Sciences, Bose Institute, Kolkata, 700091, India

    A. Chatterjee, A. Adak & S. K.Ghosh

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  1. S. K. Sharma
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  2. T. K. Mandal
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  4. A. Chatterjee
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Correspondence to S. K. Sharma.

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Sharma, S.K., Mandal, T.K., Srivastava, M.K. et al. Spatio-temporal variation in chemical characteristics of PM10 over Indo Gangetic Plain of India. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 18809–18822 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-7025-2

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