Summer Time Dustfall Fluxes of Reactive Nitrogen and Other Inorganic Species over the Tropical Megacity of Indo-Gangetic Plains

Abstract

Abstract The rising emissions of reactive nitrogen (Nr) from transport, industrial, and agricultural sectors in India have resulted in its consequent interactions with the removal mechanism of the atmospheric dust. This study, therefore, reports the fluxes of reactive nitrogen along with other inorganic species through dustfall over six sites of Delhi–National Capital Region (NCR) characterized by the changing dynamics of its different land-use pattern. The highest Nr fluxes were observed at site SMA Industrial estate (SMA; NO3− = 16.45 ± 10.17 mg m−2 day−1, NH4+ = 16.33 ± 16.00 mg m−2 day−1) and lowest at site Chuchchakwas village (CV; NO3− = 1.24 ± 0.16 mg m−2 day−1, NH4+ = 0 mg m−2 day−1). Sites Mukherjee Nagar (MN), Peeragarhi Chowk (PC), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), and Noida Phase II (N-II), on the other hand, showed 3.59 ± 1.00, 3.39 ± 0.61, 2.98 ± 0.84, and 3.36 ± 0.78 mg m−2 day−1 of NO3− fluxes and 0.30 ± 0.06, 0.22 ± 0.04, 0.21 ± 0.04, and 0.22 ± 0.05 mg m−2 day−1 of NH4+ fluxes, respectively. The fraction of the total ions in the water soluble extract of the dustfall was also noticed to be the highest at the SMA site (22.2%) and lowest at the CV site (1.5%) with MN, PC, JNU, and N-II showing 3.5%, 3.7%, 2.9%, and 3.9% of their respective contributions. Relative abundances of Ca2+ and SO42− in the dustfall substantiated the stoichiometric reactions involved in Nr scavenging. The role of Ca2+ in the spatiotemporal variability of Nr fluxes was established with the help of neutralization ratios and regression plots. Morphological and particle size analysis further confirmed the anthropogenic-induced crustal interferences in the summertime dustfall fluxes of Nr species.