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NSave Nature to Survive
QUARTERLY
4 (1) : 25-28, 2010
AIR QUALITY OF DHANBAD CITY DURING THE MONSOON PERIOD
BINDU AND S. K. SINHA*
Department of Zoology, R. S. More College,
Govindpur, Dhanbad - 828 201 (Jharkhand), INDIA
E-mail: akcexcise@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
Air pollution has become a severe health problem especially in the big cities. The
concentration of toxic pollutants has already reached levels causing risk to the
human health (Wagner, 1994). Recently status of the ambient air quality in Bellary
city (Karnataka) has been reported showing a high level of SO 2
, NO X
and SPM.
(Banu et al., 2007). The ambient air quality of Bangalore city has shown increasing
trend of SPM, RSPM, SO 2
and NO X
. (Chandrasekharan et al., 1996). The mining
atmosphere of Dhanbad city has been reported by Biswanath, (1981). The report
has put emphasis on the SPM level of different coal mines in addition to Dhanbad
city and its impact on respiratory system of mankind. WHO (2000) has given
guide line for air quality improvement for the cities. Serious health problem has
been reported owing to high level of total suspended particulate matter (TSPM),
sulphur dioxide (SO 2
) and lead (World Bank Report, 1997). But no work has been
done on the status of atmospheric pollution of Dhanbad city in the recent past;
hence the present work has been undertaken.
Survey of air quality was carried out at
important locations in Dhanbad city to assess
level of different pollutants viz. SPM, RSPM,
SO 2
and NO X.
From the study during the
monsoon period it was noticed that the level
of SO 2
was well within the limit while the level
of NO X
was comparatively higher. However,
the mean concentration of RSPM and SPM
was found to be high (even approaching
critical point at some places) except some distant
residential areas which show normal reading.
The factors responsible for such an alarming
situation for some of the parameters are
discussed.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study area
The Dhanbad district is situated in the state of Jharkhand and lies between 23º37’3"
N and 24º4' N latitude and between 86º6’30" E and 86º50' E longitude and 244
m MSL.
Owing to large coal deposit at Jharia coalfield in Dhanbad district the main activity
of the region is coal mining and coal based industries. There are several gigantic
industrial units surrounding Jharia coalfield such as fertilizer, Iron and Steel,
Cement, Power generation and hard coke plant which pollute the atmosphere.
Further to add within a span of mere five years about 90,000 vehicles were
included in the list of registered vehicles in the city. Out of this the large proportion
was of two wheelers.
Location of the sampling points
Three locations have been selected in the vicinity of the city; two in the residential
area viz. Planning and Development Industry Limited, Sindri and Jharkhand State
Pollution Control (JSPC) regional office and one in the industrial are at Mining
Area Development Authority (MADA), Jharia.
Collection of samples and analysis
Suspended particulate matter (SPM), oxides of nitrogen (NO x
), sulphur dioxide
(SO 2
) and respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) were sampled by high
volume sampler (HVS); capacity of which is 1.26-1.42 cu.m. per minute; 2350
cu.m. of air may get filtered in 24 hours. The collected particulate matter was
dried and weighed. The ambient air monitoring was carried out at 24 hours in a
day in each station. The weight of material collected is determined by weighing
the filters before and after collection. For the estimation of Sulphur dioxide (SO 2
)
West Gaeke method, 1956 was employed using sodium tetra chloromercurate as
KEY WORDS
Air quality index
SPM
RSPM
SO 2
NO X
Received : 15.09.2009
Revised : 12.12.2009
Accepted : 07.01.2010
*Corresponding author
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BINDU AND S. K. SINHA
Table 1: Air - quality data monitored at different stations at Dhanbad during 2007
Sampling SO 2
NO 2
RSPM SPM
location Min Max M ± SD Min Max M ± SD Min Max M ± SD Min Max M ± SD
J.S.P.C. 13.97 22.27 17.44±2.99 39.24 64.38 51.58±7.86 32.33 50.33 39.31±6.0 63 87.66 70.68 ±8.36
MADA 11.14 17.63 15.21±1.80 26.83 53.16 43.26±8.84 50.66 165.33 110.13±31.17 98 206.66 154.90±30.54
PDIL 12.40 21.18 14.93±2.82 36.66 49.04 42.18±3.44 45.33 118.33 83.3±23.16 83.66 156 115.50±24.71
Values in μg/m 3
Table 2: Air - quality data monitored at different stations at Dhanbad during 2008
Sampling SO 2
NO 2
RSPM SPM
location Min Max M±SD Min Max M ± SD Min Max M ± SD Min Max M ± SD
J.S.P.C. 8.80 29.29 17.31±4.05 32.45 103.32 41.49 ± 9.3 39.56 161 87.42±27.84 65.56 229 137.09±40.02
MADA 11.23 25.78 16.76±2.16 28.67 65.39 40.35±5.30 74.59 390 146.39±57.51 94.25 441 191.33±62.14
PDIL 6.98 23.47 16.80±6.27 31.09 62.22 43.52±7.34 33.11 118 83.35±30.13 57.88 166 122.97±35.12
Values in μg/m 3
absorbent by spectrometric analysis and for the estimation of
oxides of nitrogen (NOx) 0.1 N sodium hydroxide (NaOH)
solution with 0.4 % of sodium arsenate was used as absorbing
solution where it converts into nitrite ions. The nitrite content
is again estimated spectrophotometrically by the method of
IS: 5182 (Part-V).
The values of different parameters are continuous in nature
and one can take any value. In the current situation we need
to define a particular normal probability distribution using
only two parameters namely the mean (μ) and the standard
deviation (δ).
Normal Distribution is a continuous probability distribution
that describes data that cluster around the mean. The graph of
the associated probability density function is bell shaped, with
a single peak at mean and known as the Gausian function or
bell curve.
The confidence interval for the normal distribution taken is
95.45 % (μ-2δ

AIR QUALITY OF DHANBAD
b. P (0

BINDU AND S. K. SINHA
which is quite disturbing except RSPM and SPM which are
leaping and requires urgent remedial measures.
The present observation and the data were compared with
the ambient air quality for India. It shows that the mean value
of SPM level varies from 70.68 μg/m 3 to 115.5 μg/m 3 (moderate
pollution level) in residential area in Dhanbad city while it is
about 155 μg/m 3 (low pollution level) in industrial area. When
compared with the National Annual Mean concentration it is
found to be beyond low level (should be less than 70 μg/m 3 in
residential area) and need immediate remedial measures while
the same is within the minimum permissible limit (i.e. 152 μg/
m 3 ) in industrial area (should be less than 180 μg/m 3 ). From
the above data analysis it is pertinent to note that the pollution
level in industrial area is not alarming to that extent because of
increase in the number of dying industries but the situation in
residential areas is showing alarming scenario in view of rise
in automobile emission and human activity.
When the maximum and minimum values of SPM for the two
years are compared it is noticed that the same has a wide
variation. While it was only 87.66 μg/m 3 in 2007 it raised to
229 μg/m 3 in 2008 at the regional office of JSPC office. The
same is true for PDIL, Sindri but marginally, which suffered a
rise from 156 μg/m 3 to 166 μg/m 3 in the two monsoon seasons.
It was found to be 206.66 μg/m 3 in 2007 raising to 441 μg/m 3
in the month of 2008 at MADA, Jharia which moved from
moderate to high level pollution in National level index. It is
because of traffic congestion in the day time.
In respect to RSPM level there is again wide variation noticed
in the mean value of the two residential locations. It was only
39.31 μg/m 3 in 2007 rising to 87.42 μg/m 3 in 2008 at JSPC
regional office while it suffered no change at PDIL, Sindri (83
μg/m 3 approx.). The maximum concentration level is again
noticed in the busy hours to be about 50 μg/m 3 (rising to 161
μg/m 3 in 2008) at the regional office while PDIL, Sindri again
showed no variation at 118 μg/m 3 . In residential area it is
already at the critical level in those particular hours i.e. more
than 90 μg/m 3 and showing high level of pollution in industrial
areas i.e. at 165.33 μg/m 3 .
The mean value of SO 2
is found to be well within the permissible
limit both at residential areas as well as industrial areas ranging
between 15- 17 μg/m 3 in both monsoon seasons when the
normal limit is up to 40 μg/m 3 .
However the mean value of the oxides of nitrogen (NO x
) is
moderate at residential area (JSPC regional office) i.e. 51.58
μg/m 3 in 2007 which remained moderate in the second year,
varying between 40 – 43 μg/m 3 .The situation is more or less
similar at industrial area and noticed to be 43.26 μg/m 3 and
40.35 μg/m 3 in two consecutive monsoon seasons at sampling
location at MADA, Jharia.
REFERENCES
Banu, S. A., Zareena, Rajashekar, M. and Vijay Kumar, K., 2007. Status
of Ambient Air Quality in Bellary city. The Bioscan. 3(2):143-145.
Biswanath, S. 1981. Environmental pollution of mine atmosphere
with special reference to particulate pollution, Ph.D. Thesis.
Chandrasekharan , G. E., Ravichandran, C. and Shetty, N. 1996.
Ambient Air Quality of selected sites in Bangalore city. IJEP. 17:184-
188.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 1972. The Economics of
Clean Air Congress, Annual Report to Congress, Washington, D. C.
The World Bank and World Development Report. 1992. New York:
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Wagner, E.1994. Impact on air pollution in urban areas. J.
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WHO 2000. Guide lines for air quality, World Health Organization,
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