Correlation and Source Profiling of Organic Tarry Matter and PAHs in Fine Particulate Matter in Urban Ambient Air

Abstract

In present era, urban air pollution has a serious health concern as the result of rapid urbanization, industrialization, population bloom, increasing automobiles and economic expansion. Air pollution episodes around the world like Meuse valley smog (1930), Donora smog (1948) and London smog (1952 and 1962) caused thousands of deaths due to high air pollution. As per an UNEP and WHO estimate, worldwide more than 500,000 deaths yearly worldwide are caused due to inhalation of particulate matter per annum. Particulate matter plays the significant role on human health in the presence of complex synergistic interrelationships among atmospheric processes such as visibility, precipitation, solar radiation, climate change, cloud formation and acidification. It also affects the features like ecosystems, vegetation and works of art and building materials. The epidemiological studies confirm that the adverse health effects are mainly due to particulate matter, especially smaller particles of PM2.5 (lt2.5and#956;m in size) Particulate matter is a complex mixture of organic and inorganic substances suspended in air as solids and liquids. Particulate aerosols are very diverse in size, shape and chemical composition depending on the source, meteorological conditions and geographical localization of the area. It is very essential to elaborate the emission sources of particulate matter in view of the air quality and human health perspectives. The implication of the preventive and control measures to minimize the mass levels of particulate matter is only possible when the emission sources are quantitatively characterized and identified. Source apportionment is based on the fact that the different emission sources of particular location have their characteristic chemical signature or source profile at that site such as potassium has strong association with biomass burning, while aluminum and silicon are strongly associated with crust material.