Air Quality Index-A Comparative Study for Assessing the Status of Air Quality Nigam Shivangi1,*, Rao B.P.S.1, Kumar N.1, Mhaisalkar V. A.2 1CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute APC Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nehru Marg, Nagpur-440020 2Head Environmental Engineering Department, VNIT, Nagpur *Corresponding Author Email: s_nigam@neeri.res.in
Online published on 29 October, 2015. Abstract Air quality Index is a tool for identify the present scenario of air quality. Six different methods of estimating Air quality Index (AQI) based on four pollutants synergistic effect viz., PM10, PM2.5, SO2 and NO2 were used to compare the prevailing ambient air quality in the study region. The average concentration of PM10, PM2.5, SO2 and NO2 are in 82.59, 61.61, 27.19 and 3.92 μg/m3 in was observed in May June respectively. Similarly the levels in June-July 2014 were observed as 57.96, 43.27, 14.24 and 2.54 μg/m3 respectively while the concentration in July-August 2014 were found as 39.37, 32.89, 10.44 and 2.92μg/m3 respectively, in August-September 2014 were 30.08, 32.53, 12.18 and 2.90 μg/m3 respectively and the levels in Sept-Oct 2014 were found as PM10, PM2.5, SO2 and NO2 are in 93.66, 94.04, 23.39 and 6.85 μg/m3 respectively. Seasonal and daily AQI calculation revealed that air quality status in the study region under various classes ranging from good, moderate, satisfactory and unacceptable class for different AQI calculation. Top Keywords Air Quality Index (AQI), Oak Ridge National Air Quality Index (ORAQI), Break Point Concentration, SPSS-Factor Analysis, Nagpur. Top |