Molecular markers in ambient aerosol in the Mahanadi Riverside Basin of eastern central India during winter

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2015-01, Vol.22 (2), p.1220-1231
• Main Authors: Nirmalkar, Jayant, Deb, Manas K, Deshmukh, Dhananjay K, Tsai, Ying I, Verma, Santosh K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acidic soils; Aerosols; Aerosols - chemistry; Air pollution; Air quality; Alcohol; Alcohols; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric aerosols; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Biodiesel fuels; Biofuels; Biomass; burning; Carbohydrates - analysis; Carbon; Cellulose; Climate change; Dicarboxylic Acids - analysis; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Emissions; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring; glucose; India; ion exchange chromatography; Levoglucosan; Mannitol; Outdoor air quality; Oxalic acid; Particulate matter; Particulate Matter - analysis; Pollutants; Research Article; Rivers; Rural areas; Rural Population; Seasons; soil; Soil - chemistry; Sugar; Time Factors; Urban studies; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Winter
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-014-3416-4

Organic molecular markers are important atmospheric constituents. Their formation and sources are important aspects of the study of urban and rural air quality. We collected PM₁₀aerosol samples from the Mahanadi Riverside Basin (MRB), a rural part of eastern central India, during the winter of 2011. PM₁₀aerosols were characterized for molecular markers using ion chromatography. The concentration of PM₁₀ranged from 208.8 to 588.3 μg m⁻³with a mean concentration of 388.9 μg m⁻³. Total concentration of anhydrosugars, sugar alcohols, primary sugars, and oxalate were found to be 3.25, 5.60, 10.52, and 0.37 μg m⁻³, respectively, during the study period. Glucose was the most abundant species followed by levoglucosan and mannitol. Significant positive correlation between the molecular markers, anhydrosugars, sugar alcohols, primary sugars, and oxalic acid confirmed that biomass burning, biogenic activity, and re-suspension of soil particles were the main sources of aerosol in the eastern central India study area.