Title: Development of air quality indices for Mumbai, India

Authors: Vinod K. Sharma

Addresses: Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, General Vaidya Marg, Goregaon (E), Mumbai 400 065, India

Abstract: This paper proposes a simple approach for developing air quality indices for different sites in an urban region of India. The database used for calculating these indices included various physical and chemical characteristics of suspended particulate matter, such as particle size distribution, chemical (elemental) properties and parameters governing the acidity of precipitation. The indices were used to rank various sites in terms of air pollution, and higher indices indicated more polluted sites. The analysis showed that complex and large amounts of data could be converted into easily understandable simple numbers. The indices could thus serve as a ready reckoner for comparing different sites, and the information can be used to design efficient air quality management programmes and to frame appropriate abatement policies.

Keywords: air pollution index; chemical analysis; India; precipitation; size distribution.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.1999.002254

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 1999 Vol.11 No.2, pp.141-146

Published online: 13 Aug 2003 *

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