Air Quality Concentration, Transport/Dispersion and pathways of particulate matter during community celebration of Diwali days over Visakhapatnam city

Abstract

Urbanization, industrialization and consumerization have increased pollution levels in our growing cities. The activities of the people on a mass scale during festivities and celebrations can aggravate the problems of the environment. Diwali is a community festival during which the bursting of crackers and lighting of lamps mark the celebration. The large-scale burning of pyrotechnics effuses large amounts of gaseous chemicals into the surrounding atmosphere and sounds emanating from low-explosive substances can culminate into high-decibel noises. An attempt is made in this study to evaluate the air quality, concentration and pathways of the dispersing substances arising from the bursting crackers at this community celebration in the city of Visakhapatnam. Data on diurnal variations, concentration and ratio of the pollutants, namely PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, CO, ozone, benzene and toluene are gleaned from the CPCB data and vis-a-vis the air quality index was evaluated. The role of meteorological parameters is analyzed and the correlation of meteorological parameters [Temperature (TEMP), Relative Humidity (RH), Wind Speed (WS)] with various pollutants is assayed. Transportation, dispersal and pathways of the pollutants during the study period are depicted through HYSPLIT trajectories. Correlation among the pollutants is also assessed. The study reveals that the use of firecrackers during Diwali is a significant source of particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10) and other gaseous pollutants (SO2, NO2, CO, Ozone, Benzene and Toluene) in the ambient air, thereby impacting urban air quality during the sampling period.