Ambient air quality of Lucknow City (India) during use of fireworks on Diwali Festival.
The present study deals with the effect of fireworks on ambient air quality during Diwali Festival in Lucknow City. In this study, PM(10), SO(2), NO( x ) and 10 trace metals associated with PM(10) were estimated at four representative locations, during day and night times for Pre Diwali (day before Diwali) and Diwali day. On Diwali day 24 h average concentration of PM(10), SO(2), and NO( x ) was found to be 753.3, 139.1, and 107.3 mug m(-3), respectively, and these concentrations were found to be higher at 2.49 and 5.67 times for PM(10), 1.95 and 6.59 times for SO(2) and 1.79 and 2.69 for NO( x ), when compared with the respective concentration of Pre Diwali and normal day, respectively. On Diwali day, 24 h values for PM(10), SO(2), and NO( x ) were found to be higher than prescribed limit of National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS), and exceptionally high (7.53 times) for PM(10). On Diwali night (12 h) mean level of PM(10), SO(2) and NO( x ) was 1,206.2, 205.4 and 149.0 mug m(-3), respectively, which was 4.02, 2.82 and 2.27 times higher than their respective daytime concentrations and showed strong correlations (p < 0.01) with each other. The 24 h mean concentration of metals associated with PM(10) was found to be in the order of Ca (3,169.44) > Fe (747.23) > Zn (542.62) > Cu (454.03), > Pb (307.54) > Mn (83.90) > Co (78.69) > Cr (42.10) > Ni (41.47) > Cd (34.69) in ng m(-3) and all these values were found to be higher than the Pre Diwali (except Fe) and normal day. The metal concentrations on Diwali day were found to be significantly different than normal day (except Fe & Cu). The concentrations of Co, Ni, Cr and Cd on Diwali night were found to be significantly higher than daytime concentrations for Pre Diwali (control). The inter correlation of metals between Ca with Pb, Zn with Ni and Cr, Cu with Co, Co with Mn, Ni with Cd, Mn with Cd, Ni with Cd and Cr, and Cr with Cd showed significant relation either at p < 0.05 or P < 0.01 levels, which indicated that their sources were the same. The metals Cu, Co, Ni, Cr and Cd showed significant (p < 0.01) association with PM(10). These results indicate that fireworks during Diwali festival affected the ambient air quality adversely due to emission and accumulation of PM(10), SO(2), NO( x ) and trace metals.
Barman
S C
SC
Environmental Monitoring Section, Industrial Toxicology Research Centre, M. G. Marg, Lucknow 226001, India. scbarman@yahoo.com
Singh
Ramesh
R
Negi
M P S
MP
Bhargava
S K
SK
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000846:Anniversaries and Special Events; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D053834:Explosive Agents; D007194:India; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis
D000393:Air Pollutants; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D053834:Explosive Agents; D008670:Metals