Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons bound to PM 2.5 in urban Coimbatore, India with emphasis on source apportionment.
Coimbatore is one of the fast growing industrial cities of Southern India with an urban population of 1.9 million. This study attempts to evaluate the trends of airborne fine particulates (PM 2.5) and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) on them. The PM 2.5 mass was collected in polytetra fluoroethylene filters using fine particulate sampler at monthly intervals during March 2009 to February 2010. PAHs were extracted from PM 2.5 and estimated by high-performance liquid chromatography. It is alarming to note that PM 2.5 values ranged between 27.85 and 165.75 μg/m(3) and exceeded the air quality standards in many sampling events. The sum of 9 PAHs bound to PM 2.5 in a single sampling event ranged from 4.1 to 1632.3 ng/m(3). PAH diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis results revealed vehicular emissions and diesel-powered generators as predominant sources of PAH in Coimbatore.
Department of Environmental Management, Bharathidasan University, Tamilnadu Tiruchirappalli 620024, India. mohan.bdu@gmail.com
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R
Mohanraj
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S
Dhanakumar
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G
Solaraj
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D002947:Cities; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D007194:India; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000032:analysis
D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D001335:Vehicle Emissions