Identification of sources of coarse mode aerosol particles (PM) using ATR-FTIR and SEM-EDX spectroscopy over the Himalayan Region of India.

This study attempts to examine the morphological, elemental and physical characteristics of PM over the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) using FTIR and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) analysis. The study aimed at source identification of PM by exploring the inorganic ions, organic functional groups, morphology and elemental characteristics. The pollution load of PM was estimated as 63 ± 22 μg m; 53 ± 16 μg m; 67 ± 26 μg m and 55 ± 11 μg m over Mohal-Kullu, Almora, Nainital and Darjeeling, respectively. ATR-FTIR spectrum analysis revealed the existence of inorganic ions (SiO, TiO, SO, SO, NO, NO, CO, HCO, NH) and organic functional groups (C-C, C-H, C=C, C≡C, C=O, N-H, C≡N, C=N, O-H, cyclic rings, aromatic compounds and some heterogeneous groups) in PM which may arise from geogenic, biogenic and anthropogenic sources. The morphological and elemental characterization was performed by SEM-EDX, inferring for geogenic origin (Al, Na, K, Ca, Mg and Fe) due to the presence of different morphologies (irregular, spherical, cluster, sheet-like solid deposition and columnar). In contrast, particles having biogenic and anthropogenic origins (K, S and Ba) have primarily spherical with few irregular particles at all the study sites. Also, the statistical analysis ANOVA depicts that among all the detected elements, Na, Al, Si, S and K are site-specific in nature as their mean of aw% significantly varied for all the sites. The trajectory analysis revealed that the Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, the Thar Desert, Himachal Pradesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Sikkim, the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) and the Bay of Bengal (BoB) contribute to the increased loading of atmospheric pollutants in various locations within the IHR.