title: Physical characterization, magnetic measurements, REE geochemistry and biomonitoring of dust load accumulated during a protracted winter fog period and their implications.
abstract: The winter fog in India is a recurrent phenomenon for more than a decade now affecting the entire Himalayan and sub-Himalayan regions covering an area of nearly 500,000 km(2). Every winter (December-January), the air and surface transports in cities of northern India (Amritsar, New Delhi, Agra, Gwalior, Kanpur, Lucknow, and Allahabad) are severely disrupted with visibility reduced to <50 m at times. Since dust particles are known to act as nuclei for the fog formation, this study is aimed to carry out physicochemical characterization of the dust particulates accumulated during a protracted fog period from one of the severely fog affected cities of north India (Allahabad; 25°27'33.40″N-81°52'45.47″E). The dust-loaded tree leaves belonging to Ficus bengalensis and Ficus religiosa from 50 different locations between January 24 and 31, 2010 are sampled and characterized. The mass of dust, color, grain shape, size, phase constituents, and mineral magnetic parameters, such as magnetic susceptibility, SIRM, χ fd%, and S-ratio, show minor variation and the regional influence outweighs local anthropogenic contributions. The dust compositions show fractionated rare earth element pattern with a pronounced negative Eu anomaly similar to upper continental crust and further suggesting their derivation from sources located in parts of north and central India.
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Allahabad, Allahabad, 211 002, India.
authors.forename: Munmun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chakarvorty
authors.forename: Jayanta Kumar
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Pati
authors.forename: Shiva Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Patil
authors.forename: Swati
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shukla
authors.forename: Ambalika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Niyogi
authors.forename: Arun Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Saraf
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D002947:Cities; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D007194:India; D060328:Magnetic Phenomena; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D012621:Seasons; D014197:Trees / Q000737:chemistry; D014887:Weather
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D004391:Dust