title: Size distribution and source apportionment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in aerosol particle samples from the atmospheric environment of Delhi, India.
abstract: Ambient aerosol particles were collected using a five-stage impactor at six different sites in Delhi. The impactor segregates the TSPM into five different sizes (viz. >10.9, 10.9-5.4, 5.4-1.6, 1.6-0.7, and <0.7μm). Samples collected were chemically analyzed for all the five size ranges, for the estimation of 16 different PAHs. The particle size distribution of PAHs was observed to be unimodal in nature with the highest peak towards the smallest size aerosol particle (<0.7μm). The five size ranges were categorized into two broad categories viz. coarse (>10.9+10.9 to 5.4+5.4 to 1.6μm) and fine (1.6 to 0.7+<0.7μm). It was observed that the dominant PAHs found were pyrene, benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(ghi)perylene and benzo(b)fluoranthene for both the coarse and fine fractions. Source apportionment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been carried out using principal component analysis method (PCA) in both coarse and fine size modes. The major sources identified in this study, responsible for the elevated concentration of PAHs in Delhi, are vehicular emission and coal combustion. Some contribution from biomass burning was also observed.
authors: School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110 067, India. sandeep.78jnu@gmail.com
authors: Sandeep
authors: S
authors: Gupta
authors: Krishan
authors: K
authors: Kumar
authors: Arun
authors: A
authors: Srivastava
authors: Alok
authors: A
authors: Srivastava
authors: V K
authors: VK
authors: Jain
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols / Q000032:analysis; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D001272:Atmosphere / Q000737:chemistry*; D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene / Q000032:analysis; D002947:Cities; D005449:Fluorenes / Q000032:analysis; D007194:India; D010316:Particle Size; D010569:Perylene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D011721:Pyrenes / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D000393:Air Pollutants; D005449:Fluorenes; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D011721:Pyrenes; D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene; D010569:Perylene; C006718:1,12-benzoperylene; C006703:benzo(b)fluoranthene