Characterisation of Indoor Respirable Dust in a Locality of Delhi,India

Abstract

The present study is one of the first attempting to assess the problem of indoor air pollution in an urban village of the Indian capital, Delhi. Indoor air sampling was carried out for the period of Jan-May 1999, using an 8-stage cas cade impactor (Anderson sampler), at a constant flow rate of 1 CFM (28.31 I.min^-1), with an impactor pre-sepa rator which cuts off particles larger than 10 μm in aerody namic diameter. Glass fibre filter papers were used for all sampling. Cascade impactor samples were digested in two fractions of PM₁₀ viz. coarse (>2.1 μm) and fine (<2.1 μm). Total PM₁₀ concentration, both coarse and fine, was measured. The samples collected were ana lysed for trace metals by atomic absorption spectrome try (AAS), using a model Philips PU-9200X. A consider able amount of the PM₁₀ (both coarse and fine fractions) was found to be heavy metals, in addition the anions SO^2- ₄, NO^- ₃ were found in the indoor environment regard less of the level of indoor activity. Analyses of sulphate (SO^2- ₄) and nitrate (NO^- ₃) were carried out using a Hitachi U-2000 UV-VIS spectrophotometer.

Keywords

Indoor Respirable dust PM10 Heavy metals SO2-4. NO-3

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