Case Studies on Air
Quality Indexing Systems for Nashik City
AR Warade* and RW Gaikwad
Dept. of Chemical
Engineering, Pravara Rural
ABSTRACT
The Air Quality Index
(AQI) is used to report ambient air quality status on day to day basis. The
number indices have been developed using different criteria pollutants but no.
index is available which takes into consideration all the pollutants. Further
these, indices are not comparable in absolute terms in developing countries
like
Keywords: Air Quality Index,
INTRODUCTION:
Ambient air quality is
monitored for different purpose through out the world. One of the purposes is
to know the concentration of different pollutant in ambient air resulting from
various natural and anthropogenic activities that could be harmful to the human
health, animal, vegetation and building materials 1. National
Ambient Air Quality Standard has need developed by many developed countries for
air pollutants like particulate matter, SO2, NO2 and CO. 2
Pollution is a tremendously alarming problem in the whole word with the
hazards related to air pollution increases day by day. In this perspective the
subject of air quality management is gaining more and more important with time.
Air quality management deals with all the function required to control the
quality of the atm.7 The very first step to such control is public
awareness which should be done is simple way so as to make it understandable to
all.10 Air pollution indices fulfill this requirement of non
technical communication with general public as it does not involve and
technical expression based on scientific data .5 In this paper, it
is intended to discuss the emission and potential to affect a particular air
around Nasik city, Ambad industrial area, Sinner
industrial area and Satpur industrial area. The
discussion and the findings based on data collected for a particular period for
emission as well as ambient air quality in the year, March 2008.The study area
is the all area and particular sampling station where ambient air quality has
been carried out. This review will focus on different studies conducted on
determination of AQI for the different agencies and organization.
MATERIAL AND METHODS:
Different Methods on AQI
Determination:
The
preferred methodology for determining the AQI, commonly used in
The AQI is obtained by adding the percentage
of several pollutants as described below
n
AQI = 1
/n å Ai
i=1
Where,
Ai = (Ci / Si) X
100
Ci = Concentration of
Pollutant
Si = Air quality standard for pollutant
Here Ci is
generally as and average concentration over certain period of time same as that
prescribed for Si.
In the second method AQI is calculated by
attaching a sub- index value to each parameter based on its actual level. Each
sub index is obtained by assigning sub – index values for particular rages of
pollutant constrain, the index is calculated using the equation.
n
I = å Ai
i=1
Where,
n = no. of pollutants considered
Ai = Sub – index Value for pollutant
Of late, another method has been introduced
by CPCB which considered vulnerability index based on toxicity within factor
for selected pollutants attribution of VI to the ambient air or each station is
based on total vulnerability score (st ), which is
calculated using the following expression.
n
Vst = å Xi . Ti
i=1
Where,
Xi = concentration of the air pollutant
Ti = toxicity weight age factor for air
pollutant
N = number of air pollutants.
Derivation of vulnerability scores (VS0 and
subsequent calculation of VST of the ambient air is done through vulnerability
analysis (VA)
There are some other methods in which some
typical pollutants are considered. The average of the sum of the ratios of
pollutants considered to their respective air quality standard is obtained. The
average is the multiplies by 100 to obtain the index
value.
For example if the three major pollutants in
a city are SPM, SO2 and CO then,
API =
1/3 [(SPM/SSPM) + (SO2 / SSO2 )
+ (CO / SCO )] X 100
Where, SSPM ,
SSO2 and SCO represent the ambient air quality prestandards for SPM, SO2 and CO respectively.
RESULTS:
Case
studies: Nasik District:
The monitoring of the ambient air quality of
i) Case study of Ambad Area:- Shown in fig -1.
Figure 1. Results of Ambad Industrial Area
DISCUSSION OF TEST RESULTS:
The test results of air pollution survey done
in summer and winter seasons. It is observed that values of SPM, SO2
and NO2, are well within stipulated limits for industrial area. The
CO values are higher than stipulated limits indicating pollution due to CO. It
is observed that in this industrial area the pollution due to SPM is more as
compared other pollution parameters.NO2 pollution is observed almost
nil in this area exiting for one or two sampling survey which is also quite low
in concentration. The SPM level in area is below stipulated limits. From the
above it can be inferred that the air quality in this area is quite good but
the pollution due to CO is more. AOI is moderate in this area as per graph and
calculation. From the results it was
observed that AQI is moderate
ii) Case
study of Sinner Industrial Area:- Shown in fig -2.
Figure 2. Results of Sinner
Industrial Area
iii)
Case study of
The test results of air pollution survey done
in summer and winter seasons. It is observed that those values of SPM, SO2,
NO2 and CO are well within stipulated limits for industrial area.
The CO level in area is below stipulated limits. It is observed that in this
industrial area the pollution due to SPM is more as compared other pollution
parameters. NO2 pollution is observed almost nil in this area
exiting for one or two sampling survey which is also quite low in
concentration. The SPM level in area is below stipulated limits. From the above
it can be inferred that the air quality in this area is quite good but the
pollution due to CO is more. AOI is moderate in this area as per graph and
calculation. From the results it was observed that AQI is moderate
Figure 3. Results of
iv) Case study of Satpur Industrial Area:-
Figure 4. Result of Satpur
Industrial Area
DISCUSSION
OF TEST RESULTS:
The test results of air pollution survey done
in summer and winter seasons. It is observed that values of SPM, SO2,
NO2 and CO are well within stipulated limits for industrial area.
The CO level in area is below stipulated limits. It is observed that in this
industrial area the pollution due to SPM is more as compared other pollution
parameters. NO2 pollution is observed almost nil in this area
exiting for one or two sampling survey which is also quite low in
concentration. The SPM level in area is below stipulated limits. From the above
it can be inferred that the air quality in this area is quite good but the
pollution due to CO is more. AOI is moderate in this area as per graph and
calculation. From the results it was observed that AQI is moderate
CONCLUSION:
The analysis of air quality by various
agencies at different traffic intersection reveal at comparative pollution
level of said locations. The AQI are calculated based on outdoor standards,
through monitoring was conducted for indoor air quality. However the index
values revealing heavy to severe air
pollution with respect to outdoor standards will surely indicate serious air
quality hazardous as the indoor standards, if available are necessary expected
to be much more stringent. All areas of the AQI values are in between the
50-100 so that the all areas AQI are moderated. This may leave a scope for
considering the fact, that whether height should be included as a parameter
while specifying standards for air quality.
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Received on 15.11.2009
Accepted on 27.11.2009
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Research J. Science
and Tech. 1(2): Sept –Oct. 2009:
88-90