Ambient Air Quality Monitoring and Management in Moradabad

Abstract

The present study deals with the assessment of ambient air quality with respect to Total Suspended Particulates (TSP), Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (PM10), Sulphur dioxide (SO2) and Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) considered over a period of two years from Sep 2010 to Aug. 2012. Air quality index are used for local and regional air quality management in many cities of the world. The air quality index has been determined at three different sites i.e. PTC (SI), Buddh Bazar (SII) and Mughalpura (SIII) of Moradabad city. The experimental results obtained from the different air quality categories according to national ambient air quality standard at different site as PTC (SI) though looks a clean area, falls under moderate pollution category with 68.78 index value. This may be due to fossil fuel combustion at the outskirts of the parade grounds and burning of dry leaves inside the area. Buddh Bazar (SII) which is a commercial area falls under high air pollution category with 99.48 index value. This site near railway station is extremely congested resulting in slow movement of vehicles, long waits at the signals and a large number of vehicles running during the day and night time. Mughalpura (SIII) is an industrial area, falls under the very high pollution category with 120.99 index value, may be due to the industrial activities i.e. mainly brasswares. Five heavy metals i.e. Cu, Zn, Fe, Cd and Pb were also observed at all the sites. Among the metals highest concentration of Zn was recorded at almost all the sites whereas Cu, Zn and Fe was found higher at industrial site, may be attributed to melting of Brass sillies to prepare the different Brassware items.