Evaluation of Urban Air Pollution Distribution in the Colombo Municipal Council Area, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Environmental pollution is one of the major health problems in both industrialized and developing countries including Sri Lanka. The main categories are water pollution, air pollution, land pollution and noise pollution etc. Out of this, air pollution is one of the severe and growing problem in worldwide and highly affects to the human health specially those who live in urban centers. It is a dangerous and silent hazard in comparison to other hazards since it is invisible. There are two types of air pollution respectively indoor air pollution and outdoor air pollution. Mainly indoor pollution is increasing with human domestic activities and outdoor air pollution is increasing with urbanization, industrialization and transport activities. The usage of motor vehicles in the Colombo City has been increased by over 300% in the last 20 years. The majority of these are motor cycles and three wheels and also other vehicles such as public transports. In that case resent results show that the city of Colombo is heavily polluted and the level of air pollution has been reached to its dangerous levels. During peak traffic hours (between 6 am to 8.30 am and 4 pm to 6 pm), Colombo area face to severe air pollution. Air pollution level was increase with rainfall variation of the area. Contamination of air pollutant was travel to another area using wind and Sea breeze. Main air pollutant emitter was Traffic and vehicles. It was clearly shows with monthly variation of pollutant distribution. Air pollution was increased with festival seasons and school holding time period.