Seasonal and annual trends of carbonaceous species of PM10 over a megacity Delhi, India during 2010–2017

Abstract

PM10 samples were collected to characterize the seasonal and annual trends of carbonaceous content in PM10 at an urban site of megacity Delhi, India from January 2010 to December 2017. Organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) concentrations were quantified by thermal-optical transmission (TOT) method of PM10 samples collected at Delhi. The average concentrations of PM10, OC, EC and TCA (total carbonaceous aerosol) were 222 ± 87 (range: 48.2–583.8 μg m−3), 25.6 ± 14.0 (range: 4.2–82.5 μg m−3), 8.7 ± 5.8 (range: 0.8–35.6 μg m−3) and 54.7 ± 30.6 μg m−3 (range: 8.4–175.2 μg m−3), respectively during entire sampling period. The average secondary organic carbon (SOC) concentration ranged from 2.5–9.1 μg m−3 in PM10, accounting from 14 to 28% of total OC mass concentration of PM10. Significant seasonal variations were recorded in concentrations of PM10, OC, EC and TCA with maxima during winter and minima during monsoon seasons. In the present study, the positive linear trend between OC and EC were recorded during winter (R2 = 0.53), summer (R2 = 0.59) and monsoon (R2 = 0.78) seasons. This behaviour suggests the contribution of similar sources and common atmospheric processes in both the fractions. OC/EC weight ratio suggested that vehicular emissions, fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning could be the major sources of carbonaceous aerosols of PM10 at the megacity Delhi, India. Trajectory analysis indicates that the air mass approches to the sampling site is mainly from Indo Gangetic plain (IGP) region (Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab etc.), Thar desert, Afghanistan, Pakistan and surrounding areas.