Spatio-Temporal Variation of Particulate Matter(PM2.5) Concentrations and Its Health Impacts in a Mega City, Delhi in India

Abstract

Rising concentration of air pollution and its associated health effects is rapidly increasing in India, and Delhi, being the capital city, has drawn our attention in recent years. This study was designed to analyze the spatial and temporal variations of particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations in a mega city, Delhi. The daily PM2.5 concentrations monitored by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), New Delhi during November 2016 to October 2017 in different locations distributed in the region of the study were used for the analysis. The descriptive statistics indicate that the spatial mean of monthly average PM2.5 concentrations ranged from 45.92 μg m−3 to 278.77 μg m−3. The maximum and minimum spatial variance observed in the months of March and September, respectively. The study also analyzed the PM2.5 air quality index (PM2.5—Air Quality Index (AQI)) for assessing the health impacts in the study area. The AQI value was determined according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) system. The result suggests that most of the area had the moderate to very unhealthy category of PM2.5-AQI and that leads to severe breathing discomfort for people residing in the area. It was observed that the air quality level was worst during winter months (October to January).