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Abstract

This paper mainly deals with the measurement of air quality by observing the concentration

of pollutants in the atmosphere namely suspended particulate matter, NOx and SO2 at five

different selected locations in Lucknow city. The locations for the study have been chosen

on the basis of land use pattern. Each pollutant has been observed by 12 hours from 8:00

to 20:00 hours. According to air quality scale, the air quality status has been measured at

each location and zone. From the study it is found that the residential zone has highest air

quality index in comparison to other zones.

1. INTRODUCTION

The primary sources causative to the worsening of air quality in urban areasare mainly vehicular traffic, industrial sources and power plants. Out of thesethree, the last two sources are stationary sources of pollutants, affecting air toa greater extent but in a limited area while the vehicular traffic being a mobilesource pollutes the atmosphere to a larger extent without limitation. Vehiclesare the prime source of air pollution in urban areas and these air pollutantsfrom vehicles received more attention than ever before with the continuousincrease of vehicle demand world widely in recent decades (USEPA, 1991a,1991b; Kenneth, 1994; Larsolov, 1994; Jorgensen, 1996; Bradley et al., 1999;Singer and Harley, 2000; Ye et al., 2000; Charron and Harrison, 2003; Schifteret al., 2003). Gases and particulate emissions from automobiles add air pollutionto atmosphere drastically. The major air pollutants emitting from vehiculartraffic are oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons(HCs), lead (Pb) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter (PM). Due todischarge of excessive amounts of pollutants from vehicular traffic, theenvironmental air quality is deteriorated continuously. According to theestimation of United Nations, 4.9 billion inhabitants out of 8.1 billion will beliving in cities by 2030 (UNCSD, 2001). This makes air pollution in relation tohuman health a prime policy concern.

Air quality is a significant determinant of health. Ambient air quality is alsoknown as air pollution index which measures point to know the change in level

of pollutants from standard level and helps to know the effects on human

Estimation of Composite

Air Quality Index for Lucknow

Ankita Shukla, Rajeev Kumar Mishra, Dr. M. Parida

Ankita Shukla, is Research Student, Department of Environmental Science, Baba SahebBhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow. Email: [email protected] Kumar Mishra, is Research Student, Centre for Transportation Systems (CTRANS),Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Uttrakhand. Email: [email protected]. M. Parida, is Professor, Transportation Engineering Group, Department of CivilEngineering and Associated Faculty, Centre for Transportation Systems (CTRANS), IndianInstitute of Technology Roorkee, Uttrakhand. Email: [email protected]

Institute of Town Planners, India Journal 7 - 4, 45 - 56, October - December 2010


46

health due to increase in pollution (Senthilnathan, 2007). Rao et al (2002)

developed long-term AQIs for four major Indian cities including Mumbai, Delhi,

Kolkata, and Chennai, and the rapidly urbanizing area around Nagpur. Sharma

et al (2003a) examined AQ Is developed for the city of Kanpur to develop anunderstanding of the relationship between seasonal effects and specific pollutantspecies comprising the AQI. Sharma et al (2003b) proposed an AQI for Delhi cityalso. For calculating sub-indices, the mathematical equations were developedby considering health criteria of the Environmental Protection Agency (1998)and Indian NAAQS (Central Pollution Control Board, 2000)

The AQI is a rating scale for reporting the ambient air pollution recorded atmonitoring sites on a particular time scale, for example daily. The main objectivesof AQI are to inform and caution the public about the risks of exposure fromdaily pollution levels and to enforce required regulatory measures for immediatelocal impact (Stieb et al, 2005). George Kyrkili et al (2007) developed anaggregate air quality based on the combined effects of five criteria pollutants(CO, SO2, NO2, O3 and PM10) by taking into account European standards. Foreach monitoring station, AQI has been evaluated and for the whole area ofAthens, Greece and an area with serious air pollutant problems. From thisstudy they established that the proposed model estimated more effectively the

exposure of citizens comparing with the modified USEPA maximum value model.The emission rate of a contaminant plays a key role in calculating the AirQuality Index (Goyal and Rama Krishna, 1998).

Lucknow has insufficient transport infrastructure. Due to increasing urbanpopulation, use of personalized vehicles, mainly two wheelers and intermediatepublic transport are growing at a rapid rate. Due to encroachment at the

parking spaces and also at street places the traffic flow becomes restricted andresults in more emission of pollutants. In most part of city, due to bad qualityof road surface and unavailability of traffic rotaries and light signals at the

majority of the intersections has also increased the emission of pollutants inthe environment.

The present study mainly emphasizes on oxides of nitrogen, sulphur dioxidesand suspended particulate matter to measure the air quality due to vehicularemissions. The objective of present study is primarily to measure the air qualityindex of different zones to evaluate the level of pollution and health concernsof the people living in that zone by measuring the concentration of pollutantsviz. NOx, SO2 and Suspended Particulate Matter in the same and put it onequation to evaluate the air quality status.

2. DATA COLLECTION AND METHODOLOGY

For the data collection and measurement of air quality index, five locationshave been selected on the basis of their land use pattern (Table 1). The different

identified locations are also shown in Fig. 1.



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For measuring the air pollution in urban areas Air

Quality Index (AQI) or Pollution index (PI) were

developed demonstrated by various scientists.

Each station monitored several pollutants

concentrations daily at each hour. These air

monitoring networks provide a large mass of data

so the interpretation becomes a hard task. So by

converting large mass of data into few and easy

air quality indices by using software reduced the pressure of air monitoring

networks with also measuring the human health effects (Murena, 2004). Air

Quality Index for a particular pollutant (Ri) has been calculated by using equation

(Senthilnathan, 2007) as:

Ri= Concentration of Pollutant (1) Standard value of Pollutant

The total air quality index for i number of pollutant is given by the value

obtained and defined as above Air Quality Index.

AQI = (i R

i/i) x100 (2)

Table 1 Different Zone Selected For Study

Type of Zone Locations

Residential Zone Thakurganj

Commercial Zone Yahiyaganj

Heavy Traffic Zone Charbagh, Alambagh,Quaiserbagh

Fig. 1: Specific Position of Study Locations in Google Map



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Ambient Air Quality Standards in India are the permissible exposures of all living

and non-living being for 24 hours per day 7 days per week. The permissible air

quality standards prescribed by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Ministry

of Environment and Forest, Government of India through Prevention and Controlof Pollution Act, 1981 as modified in 1994. The National Ambient Air QualityStandard for emission of different primary pollutants is given in Table 2. Final

rules were signed on 15 October 2008.

Not to be exceeded more than once per year;

The official level of the annual NO2 standard is 0.053 ppm, equal to 53 ppb,which is shown here for the purpose of clearer comparison to the 1-hourstandard;

To attain this standard, the 3-year average of the 98th percentile of the

daily maximum 1-hour average at each monitor within an area must not

exceed 100 ppb (effective from 22 January 2010);

Table 2 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (2009)

Primary Standards Secondary Standards

Pollutant Level Averaging Time Level AveragingTime

Carbon Monoxide 9 ppm 8-hour (1) None(10 mg/m3)

35 ppm 1-hour (1)

(40 mg/m3)

Lead 0.15g/m3(2) Rolling 3-Month Average Same as Primary1.5g/m3 Quarterly Average Same as Primary

Nitrogen Dioxide 53 ppb(3) Annual (Arithmetic Average) Same as Primary

100 ppb 1-hour (4) None

Particulate Matter 150g/m3 24-hour(5) Same as Primary(PM10)

Particulate Matter 15.0g/m3 Annual (6) (Arithmetic Average) Same as Primary(PM2.5)

35g/m3 24-hour(7) Same as PrimaryOzone 0.075 ppm 8-hour(8) Same as Primary

(2008 std)

0.08 ppm 8-hour(9) Same as Primary(1997 std)

0.12 ppm 1-hour(10) Same as Primary

Sulfur Dioxide 0.03 ppm Annual (Arithmetic Average) 0.5 ppm 3-hour(1)

0.14 ppm 24-hour(1)

75 ppb (11) 1-hour None

Source: (CPCB 2009)



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Not to be exceeded more than once per year on average over 3 years;

To attain this standard, the 3-year average of the weighted annual mean

PM2.5 concentrations from single or multiple community-oriented monitors

must not exceed 15g/m3;

To attain this standard, the 3-year average of the 98th percentile of 24-

hour concentrations at each population-oriented monitor within an area

must not exceed 35 g/m3 (effective from 17 December 2006);

To attain this standard, the 3-year average of the fourth-highest daily

maximum 8-hour average ozone concentrations measured at each monitor

within an area over each year must not exceed 0.075 ppm. (effective from

27 May 2008);

To attain this standard, the 3-year average of the fourth-highest daily

maximum 8-hour average ozone concentrations measured at each monitor

within an area over each year must not exceed 0.08 ppm:

- The 1997 standardand the implementation rules for that standard

will remain in place for implementation purposes as EPA undertakes

rulemaking to address the transition from the 1997 ozone standard to

the 2008 ozone standard; and

- EPA is in the process of reconsidering these standards (set in March

2008).

EPA revoked the 1-hour ozone standard in all areas, although some areas

have continuing obligations under that standard (anti-backsliding); and

- The standard is attained when the expected number of days per calendar

year with maximum hourly average concentrations above 0.12 ppm is

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defined as range to know the effects of pollutants on human population. The

above calculation is explained on the basis of Table 3 which is given below.

Air sampling was done using High Volume sampler. The sampling was done on

one side of the road at the height of 1.5m from the ground.

Suspended particulate matter (SPM): The suspended particulate matter

samples were collected on pre weighed GF/A fiber filter papers @ 1.1 1.4 m3

/ min for a period of one hour and after each hour the filter paper is changed.

Sulphur dioxide (SO2): The Sulphur dioxide samples were collected by bubblingair through 10 ml of 0.1M sodium tetra chloro mercurate (TCM) absorbing

solution @ 1.0 L / min. The samples were changed after each hour and the

samples were kept under cold and dark.

Oxides of nitrogen (NOx): The oxides of nitrogen samples were also collected

using bubbling method through 10 ml of 0.1N sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and Na

Arsenite (Na-As) absorbing solution @ 1.0L / min. The samples were changed

after each hour and the samples were kept under cold and dark.

Suspended particulate matter: To get the sampled air in cubic meter the

mean flow rate was multiplied by time. The collected SPM samples on GF/A was

again weighed accurately up to fourth decimal place and calculated the gram

SPM in per cubic meter of air. Further this concentration is converted to g

SPM per cubic meter of air (IS 5182 Part IV 1999).

Sulfur dioxide: The calibration standards of SO2 were made of theconcentrations ranging from 0.1 to 2.5 g / ml. The color is developed in these

Table 3 Rating Scale of Air Quality Index

Source: (Senthilnathan T., 2007)

AQI Value Remarks AQI and level of Health Concern

0-25 Clean air The AQI is normal. The quality of air is good and hence nocause for concern.

26-50 Light Air Pollution The AQI is low. The quality of air is slightly polluted and hencelittle care is to be taken.

51-75 Moderate air pollution The AQI is moderately high. The quality of air is moderatelypolluted and it is not good for sensitive groups of peoplewith asthma compounds.

76-100 Heavy Air Pollution The AQI is high. The quality of air is highly polluted and hencemajor attention is required to avoid further increase.

>100 Severe Air Pollution The AQI is very high. The quality of air is severely pollutedand it is very unhealthy to children, asthmatics and peoplesuffering with bronchial disease.



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calibration standards using sulphamic acid, formaldehyde and pararosanilinedye. After staying for 30 minutes the absorbance is taken on spectrophotometerat 560 nm with blank as a reference. The calibration graph was preparedbetween concentration of standard and their absorbance. Now using the samemethodology for the samples the absorbance is measured and by using thecalibration plot the concentration is calculated in g / ml. Multiplying the timeof sampling with the mean flow rate, the total air sampled is calculated (inliters) this sampled air is converted to cubic meter of air. Now using theconcentration in g/ml, volume of air sampled in cubic meter and applying thecorrection factor the concentration of SO2 in g per cubic meter was calculated(IS 5182 Part II 2001).

Oxides of nitrogen: The calibration standards of NOx were made similar toSO

2 in concentration ranging from 0.1 to 2.5 g / ml. The color was developed

in the calibration standards using hydrogen peroxide, sulphanilamide and NEDA.After staying 15 minutes, color development interval measured the absorbanceat 540 nm with blank as a reference. Calibration curve is prepared betweenabsorbance and concentration of standards (IS 5182 Part VI 1975 Reaffirmed1998).

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

3.1 Residential Zone

The residential area, Thakurganj has the concentration of 856 g / m3, 24 g/ m3 and 92.5 g / m3 of SPM, SO2 and NOx respectively. The standard valueof these pollutants in residential areas is 200 g / m3 for SPM, 80 g / m3 forSO2 and NOx. It has been observed that the value of SPM is much higher thanstandard value while the value of SO2 is much lower to the standard value.Value of NOx is also found higher than the standard value. Maximum andminimum air quality index is found during 18.00 to 19:00 hour and 15.00 to16.00 hour respectively (Fig. 2). The average air quality index in this area isfound 191.21. This value of AQI in this zone is found higher than 100 which areindicative of severe pollution.

3.2 Commercial Zone

Yahiyaganj, selected as a commercial area has the concentration of 886 g /m3, 23 g / m3 and 73.3 g / m3 of SPM, SO2 and NOx respectively. Thestandard value of these pollutants in Commercial areas is 200 g / m3 forsuspended particulate matter, 80 g / m3 for sulphur dioxides and oxides ofnitrogen. It is observed that the value of SPM is much higher than normal valuebut the value of SO2 and NOx is lower than their standard value. Thesecommercial areas are situated in the city hence large amount of pollution occur

due to two wheelers and three wheelers. The average air quality index at this

location is found 187.79 (see Fig. 3). All the locations in these areas have

higher Air Quality Index value which is indicative of severe pollution.



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Fig. 2 Air Quality Index in Thakurganj at Different Hours

Fig. 3 Air Quality Index in Yahiyaganj at Different Hours

3.3 Heavy Traffic Zone

Heavy Traffic zone namely Charbagh, Quaiserbagh and Alambagh have high

traffic volume. Charbagh area has the concentration of 1269 g / m3, 51 g /

m3 and 60.2 g / m3 of suspended particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and

oxides of nitrogen respectively. The concentration of SPM, SO2 and NOx is

found 1386 g / m3, 41 g / m3, 73.3 g / m3 respectively at Quaiserbagh

whereas Alambagh area has the concentration of 1046 g / m3, 53 g / m3,



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Fig. 5 Air Quality Index in Charbagh at Different Hours

52.6 g / m3 of SPM, SO2 and NOx respectively. The standard value of these

pollutants in heavy traffic zone is 500 g / m3 for SPM, 120 g / m3 for SO2

and NOx. It is observed that the concentration of SPM is always found higher

than standard value at all locations. Value of sulphur dioxide and oxides of

nitrogen are lower than their standard value. In this zone the average air

quality index is found 115.49, 124.15 and 99.07 (Figs.4, 5, 6 and 7). Excluding

Alambagh, the Charbagh and Quaiserbagh have air quality index value more

than 100 which indicates severe traffic pollution. In Alambagh the air quality

index value lies between 75 -100, which indicates heavy pollution in this particular

area.

Fig. 4 Air Quality Index in Alambagh at Different Hours



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Fig. 6 Air Quality Index in Quaiserbagh at Different Hours

4. CONCLUSIONS

The average air quality index of heavy traffic zone, commercial zone and

residential zone has been found 119.5, 188.2 and 188.2 respectively. Out of

these zones it has been observed that the AQI of residential zone is higher than

the other zones. From the results it has also been found that among all different

kind of pollutant emissions, the discharge of suspended particulate matter is

found much higher than standard value at all selected locations. It is also

observed that air quality index value of all location comes under category of

severe pollution according to rating scale of AQI. This higher value of air quality

Fig. 7 Air Quality Index in Different Zone at Different Hours



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index may cause asthma and other bronchial diseases in people living around

that particular zone. We suggest that mitigation measures should be taken to

control the emission of pollutants primarily suspended particulate matter affecting

the air quality.

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oct5_10

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