Measurement of Traffic-Related Air Pollution in Peshawar, Pakistan - A Pilot Study

This pilot study measured Traffic-Related Air Pollution (TRAP) and calculated the corresponding Air Quality Index (AQI) in Peshawar. Using Libelium wireless sensors, the research measured outdoor TRAP and monitored indoor air quality for 48 days. The maximum outdoors daily mean concentration was 47 µg m −3 for PM 1 , 90 µg m −3 for PM 2.5 , 356 µg m −3 for PM 10 , 258 ppb for SO 2 , and 219 ppb for NO 2 , respectively. This corresponds to PM 2.5 AQI of 158 (Unhealthy), PM 10 AQI of 148 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups; USG), SO 2 AQI of 181 (Unhealthy), and NO 2 AQI of 123 (USG). The maximum daily average concentration for the indoor condition was 31 µg m −3 for PM 1 , 49 µg m −3 for PM 2.5 , 78 µg m −3 for PM 10 , 465 ppb for SO 2 , and 247 ppb for NO 2 , respectively. The corresponding AQI was 135 (USG) for PM 2.5 , 62 (Moderate) for PM 10 , 254 (Very Unhealthy) for SO 2 , and 129 (USG) for NO 2 . Data analysis shows that about 73% of the overall indoor AQI falls in the category of “USG”, while SO 2 was the largest contributor to overall AQI. The study concludes that indoor AQI was slightly better than outdoor AQI because of the distance and height from the outdoor location. Moreover, Pakistan’s AQI for PM 2.5 exceeds WHO’s 24-hours limit; however, it was relatively better by 23%, 65%, and 170% compared to China, India, and Bangladesh, respectively. In contrast, AQI for SO 2 and NO 2 was poor as compared to the same countries. The concentration and AQI for traffic-related air pollutants remain unhealthy and sometimes becomes hazardous, which means the sensitive groups are at greater risk.