Investigation of Variability of Some Gaseous and Particulate Pollutants over Delhi,Northern India (28°40′N,76°50′E)

Air pollution has become a serious concern these days as the pollutants added in the air have a great impact on human health and ecological environment. The pollutants like particulate matter that have a diameter less than 2.5 micrometer (PM_2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), ozone (O₃) and sulphur dioxide (SO₂) are mainly responsible for causing respiratory problems, asthma and heart and lung disorder. In the present study, data collected by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) Delhi at Netaji Subhash Chander Institute of Technology (NSIT) location, Dwarka, Delhi, Northern India for airborne particulate and gaseous pollutants PM_2.5, NO₂, O₃ and SO₂ during November 01, 2017 to June 30, 2018 have been used to investigate the correlation among these pollutants and meteorological variables such as temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, wind speed and mixing height. The meteorological data have been obtained from Indian Meteorological Department. It has been found that the meteorological variables play a major role in modulating the pollutant concentration. The PM_2.5 is found to be positively correlated with temperature, relative humidity and rainfall, while negatively correlated with wind speed and mixing height in winter. In summer, PM_2.5 is negatively correlated with temperature and mixing height while positively correlated with relative humidity, rainfall and wind speed. O₃ is found to be positively correlated with temperature and negatively correlated with relative humidity, rainfall and mixing height in winter as well as in summer. The analysis reveals that the meteorological variables behave differently with O₃ when compared with PM_2.5, NO₂ and SO₂, respectively.