Study on Air Quality in the Near Field of MMA –A Case Study

Mohan, Braj; Ahmed, Kafeel; Afsar, Shakil · 2016 · Crossref

DOI: 10.51976/ijari.411611

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Summary

This study investigates air quality in the near field of MMA Jauhar Marg within the Jamia Millia Islamia University Campus in New Delhi, focusing on pollutants emitted by vehicular traffic. The research is motivated by Delhi’s status as a highly polluted city, where vehicular transportation accounts for approximately 70% of total air pollution. Rapid population growth and increasing vehicle numbers in the university area have exacerbated local air quality deterioration. The primary objective was to determine the concentrations of Carbon Monoxide (CO), Oxides of Sulphur (SOx), Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx), and Particulate Matter (PM10) and to validate these findings using air quality prediction models. The methodology involved a two-stage approach conducted over three consecutive working days in October 2014. First, traffic volume data was manually collected hourly for eight hours (10:00–18:00) at two locations along the road, categorizing vehicles into two-wheelers, three-wheelers, cars, light commercial vehicles, and heavy commercial vehicles. Approximately 13,000 vehicles were recorded during the monitoring period. Second, ambient air quality was monitored using a Respirable Dust Sampler (RDS) to measure pollutant concentrations. To predict CO levels, the researchers calculated average weighted emission factors based on vehicle age and type, utilizing data from the ARAI Pune 2008 report. These factors, along with meteorological data and traffic characteristics, were input into the CALINE-4/2.1 Gaussian Plume Dispersion Model to estimate CO concentrations at specific receptor locations. The results indicated that monitored CO concentrations ranged from a minimum of 0.85 mg/m³ to a maximum of 1.4 mg/m³, with an 8-hour average of 1.14 mg/m³. These values remained well below the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) 2009 limit of 2 mg/m³. The CALINE-4 model predicted a maximum CO concentration of 1.5 mg/m³ near the receptor location and 0.75 mg/m³ at a distance of 200 meters, showing strong agreement with the monitored data. While CO, SOx, and NOx levels were within permissible limits, PM10 concentrations were significantly elevated, reaching 392 μg/m³, which is nearly four times the NAAQS standard of 100 μg/m³. The authors attribute this high PM10 level to ongoing Delhi Metro Rail construction activities in the vicinity rather than vehicular emissions. The study concludes that vehicular emissions in this specific near-field location do not currently exceed national standards for gaseous pollutants like CO, and the CALINE-4 model effectively predicts these concentrations when calibrated with local traffic and emission data. However, the significant exceedance of PM10 limits highlights the impact of non-vehicular sources, such as construction dust, on local air quality. The findings suggest that while traffic management is important, controlling construction-related particulate matter is critical for achieving compliance with air quality standards in rapidly developing urban areas like the Jamia University campus.

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• traffic density