Assessment of dew harvesting as a sustainable water source and air quality indicator: a case study of Dhanbad, Jharkhand, India.

Dew formation takes place when atmospheric water vapor condenses on the surface which cools down due to radiation deficit. As it is a local phenomenon, its study gives information about the pollutants present in the atmosphere. Also, since dew formation is a natural phenomenon, and involves passive cooling, this can be a potential method for atmospheric water harvesting.

VOC source apportionment, reactivity, secondary transformations, and their prioritization using fuzzy-AHP method in a coal-mining city in India.

This study assessed the air quality status in different functional zones of Dhanbad-a coal-mining and industrial hub, based on the measurement of aromatic and halogenated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using gas chromatography. The study encompasses source apportionment of VOCs and their chemical reactivity in terms of OH radical loss rate (L), ozone-forming potential (OFP), and their secondary organic aerosol forming potential (SOAp). Furthermore, prioritization of VOCs based on a fuzzy-analytical hierarchical process (F-AHP) has also been done.

Health risk assessment from exposure to ambient VOCs and particulate matter in different functional zones in Dhanbad, India.

This study evaluates the non-cancer risks (NCR) and cancer risks (CR) in outdoor working personnel in Dhanbad city, exposed to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter (PM) present in the ambient air. Dhanbad is known for its coal mines and is one of the most polluted cities in India and the world. Sampling was conducted in different functional zones; namely, traffic intersections, industrial, and institutional areas, to estimate the concentration of different PM-bound heavy metals and VOCs in the ambient air using Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and gas chromatography (GC) respectively.

Assessment of Pollution and Health Risks of Heavy Metals in Particulate Matter and Road Dust Along the Road Network of Dhanbad, India.

Background: The rise in particulate matter (PM) concentrations is a serious problem for the environment. Heavy metals associated with PM, PM, and road dust adversely affect human health. Different methods have been used to assess heavy metal contamination in PM, PM, and road dust and source apportionment of these heavy metals.

Comparative investigation of coal- and oil-fired boilers based on emission factors, ozone and secondary organic aerosol formation potentials of VOCs.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the important precursors of the tropospheric ozone (O) and secondary organic aerosols (SOA), both of which are known to harm human health and disrupt the earth's climate system. In this study, VOC emission factors, O and SOA formation potentials were estimated for two types of industrial boilers: coal-fired boilers (n = 3) and oil-fired boilers (n = 3). Results showed that ∑VOCs concentrations were more than nine times higher for oil-fired boilers compared to those for coal-fired boilers.

Dependence of urban air pollutants on morning/evening peak hours and seasons.

Traffic emission is a major source of air pollution in urban cities of developing world. This paper shows dependence of traffic-related air pollutants in urban cities on morning/evening peak hours and winter/summer seasons. This research also shows the meteorological impact, such as temperature (T), relative humidity (RH), and wind speed (WS), on traffic-related air pollutants in urban cites.

Influence of Road Paving on Particulate Matter Emission and Fingerprinting of Elements of Road Dust.

Most assessments of road dust have focused largely on the resuspension of materials from the paved road while the contribution from unpaved shoulder to particulate matter is poorly understood. We evaluated the role of unpaved road shoulders in the contribution of particulate matter emitted by analyzing elements in the road dust. We collected road dust samples and employed US-EPA empirical equations.

Characterization of indoor settled dust and investigation of indoor air quality in different micro-environments.

Unlabelled: Present study reports the characterization results of settled dust particles in different indoor micro-environments of an academic institution in India. Field emission scanning electron microscope analysis of indoor dust revealed the presence of mineral particles, fly ash, and soot particles of different morphologies. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis of indoor dust indicated that crystal particles are comprised of elements such as C, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, S, Cl, K, Ca, Fe, and Ti.

Impact Assessment of Atmospheric Dust on Foliage Pigments and Pollution Resistances of Plants Grown Nearby Coal Based Thermal Power Plants.

Plant species grown in the vicinity of thermal power plants (TPP) are one of the immobile substrates to sink most of the pollutants emitted from their stacks. The continuous exposure of toxic pollutants to these plants may affect their resistances and essential biochemical's concentrations. In the present study, we estimated the impact of dust load generated by a TPPs to plant's dust retention capacity and pollution resistances (APTI and API).

Identifying Speed Hump, a Traffic Calming Device, as a Hotspot for Environmental Contamination in Traffic-Affected Urban Roads.

Despite several studies on traffic calming devices, information on particulate matter contribution by vehicle abrasion and wear nearby vertical deflections of speed humps is scant. Many studies have been performed in the recent past on heavy metal contamination at roads mainly at intersections. On the other hand, the traffic calming devices were studied for their effectiveness in reducing the vehicle speed and thereby increasing road safety, but their environmental effects are neglected.

Size-segregated particulate matter and its association with respiratory deposition doses among outdoor exercisers in Dhanbad City, India.

Unlabelled: Regular exercise improves physiological processes and yields positive health outcomes. However, it is relatively less known that particulate matter (PM) exposure during outdoor exercises may increase several respiratory health problems depending on PM levels. In this study, the respiratory deposition doses (RDDs) in head airway (HD), tracheobronchial (TB), and alveolar (AL) regions of various PM size fractions (<10, <2.

Determining the Contribution of Nearby Power Plants to Deposited Foliar Dust: A Case Study of BTPS, Bokaro.

Deposition of dust particles on foliage surfaces helps to filter airborne dust particles that occur predominantly in areas near thermal power plants (TPPs). Highly dust-laden foliage surrounding TPPs is a serious issue affecting the vegetation and façade greening adversely. Fly ash (FA) generated by TPPs have an adverse impact on the growth and development of flora.

Rain pH estimation based on the particulate matter pollutants and wet deposition study.

In forecasting of rain pH, the changes caused by particulate matter (PM) are generally neglected. In regions of high PM concentration like Dhanbad, the role of PM in deciding the rain pH becomes important. Present work takes into account theoretical prediction of rain pH by two methods.

Development of emission factors for motorcycles and shared auto-rickshaws using real-world driving cycle for a typical Indian city.

Vehicular emission is one of the most important contributors of urban air pollution. To quantify the impact of traffic on urban air quality, it is necessary to quantify vehicular emission. In many cities of India, such as Dhanbad, shared auto-rickshaw is the pre-dominant mode of transportation.