Title: Winter time particulate matter concentrations at an urban roadway in India

Authors: B. Srimuruganandam; S.M. Shiva Nagendra

Addresses: Environmental and Water Resources Engineering Division, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai-600036, India ' Environmental and Water Resources Engineering Division, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai-600036, India

Abstract: This paper presents analysis and interpretation of 1-hr average fine (PM₁ and PM_2.5) and coarse (PM₁₀) particulate matter (PM) concentrations measured during winter 2008 and 2009 at a roadside in Chennai city, India. Results showed typical weekly and diurnal cycles with high concentrations corresponding morning and evening peak traffic flows. The 24-hr average PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 concentrations were found to be 135 ± 65 and 73 ± 39 µg/m³ in winter 2008 and 131 ± 75 and 67 ± 32 µg/m³ in winter 2009, respectively and were violating the NAAQS (PM₁₀ = 100 µg/m³; PM_2.5 = 60 µg/m³) and WHO (PM₁₀ = 50 µg/m³; PM_2.5 = 25 µg/m³) limits. The daily PM₁ concentrations at the study site were in the range of 11-200 (mean = 56) µg/m³. The estimated mortality relative risks associated with daily PM concentrations showed a high (81-85%) and moderate (42-48%) relative risks for PM₁₀ and PM_2.5, respectively, at the study site.

Keywords: air quality standards; particulate matter; PM10; PM2.5; PM1; health effects; meteorology; inversion conditions; traffic flow; mortality risk; relative risks; India; urban roads; air pollution; traffic emissions; vehicle emissions; winter.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEE.2013.056631

International Journal of Environmental Engineering, 2013 Vol.5 No.4, pp.351 - 372

Received: 19 Sep 2010
Accepted: 20 Aug 2011
Published online: 31 Oct 2013 *

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