Current World Environment

This investigation was carried out to monitor and prepare thematic maps of the monthly spatial variability of the ambient concentrations of particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5, PM4, PM10, and TSP) and carbon dioxide (CO2) of some selected tourist sites (viz. Shalimar Garden, Chesmashahi Botanical Garden, Harwan Garden, Nishat Garden, Naseem Bagh, Lal Chowk, and Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) Shalimar campus of Srinagar city, Kashmir valley from November 2019 to April 2020 using the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation technique in Quantum Geographical Information System (QGIS). Considering Srinagar city as a growing city in terms of population, construction, vehicles, etc., the Jammu and Kashmir State Pollution Control Board in a report on managing air quality in Srinagar city identified the pollution sources in the city with their estimated source proportion as follows: vehicular emission (65-75 %), dust from bad roads (10-15 %), biomass and garbage burning (10-20 %), construction and demolition emissions (5-8 %), minor industrial activities (7-8 %) and other sources (3 %). Thus, Srinagar city’s air quality is deteriorated by these sources. Therefore, this research attempts to reveal the monthly variation and spatial interpolation of particulate matter and CO2¬. The Aerocet 831-Aerosol Mass Monitor and CDM 901-CO2 Monitor were used fortnightly in each month to monitor the ambient concentration of particulate matter and CO2 in the morning, afternoon, and evening and the sampling was carried out by taking three replications. From the data, the average mean morning, afternoon and evening concentrations of each pollutant at all the monitoring sites were as follows respectively: PM1 (67.07, 55.87, 57.62 µg/m3); PM2.5 (129.49, 95.52, 112.50 µg/m3); PM4 (170.44, 121.09, 161.81 µg/m3); PM10 (315.49, 203.09, 383.97 µg/m3); TSP (376.43, 240.49,496.55 µg/m3); and CO2 (595.33, 557.94, 601.07 ppm) showing that the morning and evening concentrations of pollutants were highest in Srinagar city. Also, the data and IDW maps make it clear that there was a statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05) variation of the monthly mean and the average six months concentrations of the monitored pollutants between most of the monitoring sites. This informs us that the concentration of particulate matter and carbon dioxide varies on monthly basis with distance from one location to another in Srinagar city. The correlation of the monthly average of most locations was non-significantly positive between most parameters but significantly strongly positive between PM1, PM2.5, and PM4 at p ≤ 0.01 with each other. Also, there was a significantly strong positive correlation (p ≤ 0.05) between PM4 and PM10, and likewise PM10 and TSP. Thus, indicating that all the monitored parameters increase or decrease with each other simultaneously. It is therefore concluded that the poor air quality of Srinagar city varies with distance as depicted by the data and IDW maps with respect to the monitoring sites and the monitored pollutants. Thus, giving an idea of the pollutants blanket over the city.

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