Airborne lead pollution in the city of Varanasi, India

doi:10.1016/1352-2310(94)90485-5

Atmospheric Environment

Volume 28, Issue 14, August 1994, Pages 2317-2323

https://doi.org/10.1016/1352-2310(94)90485-5 Get rights and content

Abstract

Monitoring of lead in ambient air was undertaken in the city of Varanasi, India, over a period of 2 yr from January 1988 to December 1989. Air samples were collected from 10 sampling sites and analysed by the Atomic Absorption Spectrometry method. Lead levels in India are found to be low compared to western countries. The highest concentration of Pb was recorded at Andhra Pul, a busy crossing in the city and lowest at Sarnath, i.e. about 10 km away from the city centre. The experimental results obtained, show that the automobile emission is the predominant source for lead pollution in the city. The concentrations follow a log-normal distribution at most of the sites.

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The Pb concentration in the airborne particulates generally varies between 42 and 250 ng/m3, with only one sample with very high (912 ng/m3) Pb concentration. These concentrations are well below the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) chronic exposure limit (1500 ng/m3) and similar to previously reported values in India (Tripathi, 1994; Ghosh et al., 2014). The ambient Pb concentration in Kanpur is similar to other Asian countries (Fig. 1) such a Pakistan, Vietnam and UAE, but much higher than North America and European cities (Bollhöfer and Rosman, 2001).
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Airborne lead pollution in the city of Varanasi, India

Abstract

Sci. total Envir.

Atmospheric Environment

Atmospheric Environment

Envir. Int.

Atmospheric Environment

Sci. total Envir.

Atmospheric Environment

Atmospheric Environment

Atmospheric Environment

Lead analysis in urban dust on St. Thomas, Virgin Islands

Atmospheric Environment

A study of atmospheric trace elements in the U.K. (1972–1973)

Trace metals in atmospheric deposition: a review and assessment

Atmospheric Environment