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Air Quality Index and Explanation

The document discusses air quality index (AQI) measurements from multiple locations in Delhi across different seasons. AQI was highest during post-monsoon and winter months due to factors like crop burning, vehicle emissions, and atmospheric inversions trapping pollution. AQI was better during monsoon season when pollution disperses more easily. AQI indicates air quality is rarely 'good' in Delhi and measures are needed to reduce health issues from air pollution.

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Prarthana Das
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153 views4 pages

Air Quality Index and Explanation

The document discusses air quality index (AQI) measurements from multiple locations in Delhi across different seasons. AQI was highest during post-monsoon and winter months due to factors like crop burning, vehicle emissions, and atmospheric inversions trapping pollution. AQI was better during monsoon season when pollution disperses more easily. AQI indicates air quality is rarely 'good' in Delhi and measures are needed to reduce health issues from air pollution.

Uploaded by

Prarthana Das
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Changes in Air Quality using Multi Locational Data

The air quality index (AQI) is an index for reporting air quality on a daily basis. It is a measure
of how air pollution affects one's health within a short time period. The purpose of the AQI is
to help people know how the local air quality impacts their health. The Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) calculates the AQI for five major air pollutants, for which national
air quality standards have been established to safeguard public health.
1. Ground-level ozone
2. Particle pollution/particulate matter (PM 2.5/PM 10)
3. Carbon Monoxide
4. Sulphur dioxide
5. Nitrogen dioxide
Computation of the AQI requires an air pollutant concentration over a specified averaging
period, obtained from an air monitor or model. Taken together, concentration and time
represent the dose of the air pollutant. Health effects corresponding to a given dose are
established by epidemiological research. Air pollutants vary in potency, and the function used
to convert from air pollutant concentration to AQI varies by pollutant. Its air quality index
values are typically grouped into ranges. Each range is assigned a descriptor, a colour code,
and a standardized public health advisory. The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of
air pollution and the greater the health concerns. The concept of AQI has been widely used in
many developed countries for over the last three decades. AQI quickly disseminates air quality
information in real-time. Different countries use different point scales to report air quality.
Monitors record concentrations of the major pollutants. These raw measurements are converted
into a separate AQI value for each pollutant (ground-level ozone, particle pollution, carbon
monoxide, and sulphur dioxide) using standard formulae developed by EPA. The highest of
these AQI values are reported as the AQI value for that day.

Objectives of Air Quality Index (AQI)

• Comparing air quality conditions at different locations/cities.


• It also helps in identifying faulty standards and inadequate monitoring programmes.
• AQI helps in analysing the change in air quality (improvement or degradation).
• AQI informs the public about environmental conditions. It is especially useful for
people suffering from illnesses aggravated or caused by air pollution.
The National Air Quality Index (AQI) was launched in New Delhi on September 17, 2014,
under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The Central Pollution Control Board along with State
Pollution Control Boards has been operating National Air Monitoring Program (NAMP)
covering 240 cities of the country having more than 342 monitoring stations. An Expert Group
comprising medical professionals, air quality experts, academia, advocacy groups, and SPCBs
was constituted and a technical study was awarded to IIT Kanpur. IIT Kanpur and the Expert
Group recommended an AQI scheme in 2014.

AQI Associated Health Impact


Good (0-50) Minimal Impact
Satisfactory (51-100) Minor Breathing Discomfort to sensitive
people
Moderate (101-200) Breathing Discomfort to people with lung,
asthma and heart diseases
Poor (201-300) May cause breathing discomfort to people
on prolonged exposure
Very Poor (301-400) May cause respiratory illness to the people
on prolonged exposure.
Severe (401-500) Causes respiratory impact even on healthy
people, and serious health impacts on
people with lung/heart disease.

AQI values at and below 100 are generally considered to be satisfactory. When AQI values are
above 100, air quality is considered to be unhealthy. Awareness of daily levels of air pollution
is important, especially for those suffering from illnesses caused by exposure to air pollution.
People with lung diseases, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema, Children,
including teenagers, Active people of all ages who exercise or work extensively outdoors can
all be affected.
Pre-Monsoon -11.4.2019

Stations PM NO2 CO Overall


10 AQI
Anand 234 116 95 234
Vihar
Dwarka 210 63 71 210
Jahangirpuri 181 68 82 181

Summer Monsoon- 20.8.2019

Stations PM NO2 CO Overall


10 AQI
Anand 171 62 65 171
Vihar
Dwarka 197 28 62 197
Jahangirpuri 101 36 65 110

Post Monsoon- 21.11.2019

Stations PM NO2 CO Overall


10 AQI
Anand 410 144 152 413
Vihar
Dwarka 382 120 148 382
Jahangirpuri 308 117 100 362
Winter Monsoon- 22.1.2020

Stations PM NO2 CO Overall


10 AQI
Anand 328 68 87 393
Vihar
Dwarka 375 82 88 385
Jahangirpuri 314 166 101 404
Interpretation

The given air quality indicators like Particulate Matter, Nitrogen-di-oxide and Carbon
Monoxide shows seasonal variations to a large degree in four major stations of Delhi- Anand
Vihar, Dwarka, Jahangirpuri and R.K. Puram. The pollution, especially over northern India,
gets magnified during the post-monsoon months due to a combination of atmospheric and
human factors. These include winter inversion, and the ‘valley’ effect (explained below), apart
from the usual culprits like industrial and vehicular emissions. Seasonal factors like dust
storms, crop fires, burning of solid fuels for heating, and firecracker-related pollution during
Diwali, also aggravate the winter pollution crisis. While the toxic soup over north India is
composed of several types of pollutants such as sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2),
PM2.5, PM10 and Ozone, the most harmful ones are PM 10 and NO 2. The main pollutant has
been recognised to be PM 10 in all the stations of Delhi. During Pre-Monsoon, the overall AQI
shows that it is poor air quality that prevails. However, air quality turns very poor to severe
during the Post and Winter Monsoon seasons. This changes to moderately polluted air quality
during Summer Monsoon. In summer, the air in the planetary boundary layer (the lowest part
of the atmosphere) is warmer and lighter and rises upwards more easily. This carries pollutants
away from the ground and mixes them with cleaner air in the upper layers of the atmosphere.
During winters the planetary boundary layer is thinner as the cooler air near the earth’s surface
is dense. The cooler air is trapped under the warm air above that forms a kind of atmospheric
‘lid’. This phenomenon is called winter inversion. Since the vertical mixing of air happens only
within this layer, the pollutants released lack enough space to disperse in the atmosphere.
Polluted air settles in this land-locked valley and is unable to escape due to low wind speeds.
In major cities of this region, such like Delhi, high industrial and vehicular emissions coupled
with biomass burning in surrounding areas cause more pollution that gets trapped due to this
valley effect and inversion. Thus, the overall AQI shows maximum spark during post and
winter monsoon seasons than the pre monsoon and monsoon season. The data and graphs thus
indicate that “Good quality” air is scarce in Delhi. Proper measures are needed to check the
problem and reduce the health-related issues that are evoked by air pollution.

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