Abstract:
Black carbon (BC) and PM2.5 chemical characterizations are crucial for insight into their
impact on the health of the exposed population. PM2.5 sampling was carried out over selected
residential sites of Jamshedpur (JSR) and Kharagpur (KGP), east India, during the winter sea son. Seven selected elements (SO4
2−, Cl−, Na+
, NO3
−, K+
, Ca2+, and Mg2+) were analyzed us ing ion chromatography (IC). Black carbon (BC) sampling was also done at two different sites
in JSR and KGP to understand its correlation. The PM2.5 ionic species mass concentration in
JSR was in the order of SO4
2− > Cl− > Na+ > NO3
− > K+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+, whereas in KGP, it was
SO4
2− > NO3
− > Cl− > Na+ > K+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+. The back-trajectory analysis showed that most of
the air masses during the study period originated from the Indo Gangetic Plain (IGP). The Pearson
relations of BC-PM2.5 indicate a better positive correlation (r = 0.66) at KGP compared to JSR (r = 0.42).
As shown in the diagnostic ratio analysis, fossil fuel combustion and wood burning account for
51.51% and 36.36% of the total energy consumption in JSR city, respectively. In KGP city, the appor tionment of origin sources were fossil fuel and wood burning at 43.75% and 34.37%, respectively.
This study provides the first inventory of atmospheric particulate-bound chemical concentrations
and BC profiles in middle-east India and informs policymakers and scientists for further studies.
