Increase in Inhalable Particulates' Concentration by Commercial and Industrial Activities in the Ambient Air of a Select Indian Metropolis

Inhalable particulates (particulates less than 10 micron) present in ambient air find passage into the respiratory system due to their small size and impair the health. Surveillance of inhalable particulates is, therefore, essential for assessing an inhalation health hazard. The activity also provides guidance for appropriate protection against the ill effects. Monitoring of inhalable particulates requires a high-volume sampler retrofitted with a size selective inlet (SSI) to separate and sample specified size-range fractions of suspended particulate matter in air. Measurement of inhalable particulates indirectly represents anthropogenic activity. In view of this, surveillance of inhalable particulates was conducted in select metropolitan cities of India during 1995−1997 to find out changes in their concentration. The inhalable particulates were measured by retrofitting a suitably designed SSI to the standard high-volume sampler. The study revealed that the concentration of inhalable particulates in the ambient air increased due to industrial activities up to 320, 168, and 546% and due to commercial activities up to 406, 198, and 140% in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and Delhi, respectively. An increase in inhalable particulates' concentration during the above period also showed a marked seasonal variation. The increase due to commercial activity, however, did not show a definite tendency.