Source apportionment of ambient PM10. A case study from a mining belt of Orissa

Abstract

Samples of particulate matter of size 10 micron (PM₁₀) were collected in Talcher, Orissa (India) from six sites with different land-uses. The sampling was done concurrently twice a week during the months of June 2008, November 2008 and January 2009. The ambient mass concentration and the elemental composition in these PM₁₀ samples were determined. The annual average concentrations of PM₁₀ samples at each site were 144 ± 29 μg/m³, 191 ± 61 μg/m³, 90 ± 28 μg/m³, 60 ± 15 μg/m³, 106 ± 35 μg/m³, and 150 ± 36 μg/m³ respectively, indicating severe air pollution levels in Talcher. Variation of particulate matter with meteorological parameters like wind speed, relative humidity and temperature was observed. The study reveals that the particulate matter concentration drops substantially with the rise of wind speed above 1m/s. Elemental concentrations of PM₁₀ were analyzed using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Correlation and multivariate analysis techniques, such as principal components analysis, were used for source apportionment to identify the possible sources of PM₁₀ and quantified trace elements. Four factors were isolated by principal components analysis: soil dust or fugitive dust from mining associated activities, emissions from automobiles, emissions from thermal power plant and non-ferrous smelter, and identified as possible sources.