Chemical characterization and source apportionment of ambient PM10 in Hubli-Dharwad region, Karnataka, India

Abstract

In India, particulate matter (PM<inf>10</inf>) shows very strong persistence and very high levels in most of the tier-II cities along with metropolitan cities and other cities of the world. The present work was to study air pollution (PM<inf>10</inf>) in Hubli-Dharwad, a tier-II city of Karnataka, India. The mean mass concentration for PM<inf>10</inf> varied from 260-410 ppm, substantially higher than guidelines of CPCB. Seasonal variations of these pollutants indicated that higher concentrations of pollutants were observed in summer than in winter seasons with air quality index (AQI) as 211 in summer. The source apportionment study using positive matrix factorization (PMF5) indicated the presence of heavy metals in the atmosphere. Out of 4 identified factors, motor vehicles contributed vastly (38.8%), dust (16.4%), industrial emission (19.8%) and biomass burning (25.0%). This study has found that the source apportionment has distinct regional and seasonal characteristics. Such studies are essential for the Government to make region specific control strategies for particulate pollution in India. © 2021 World Research Association. All rights reserved.