Journal of Pollution Effects & Control
Open Access

Abstract

Impacts of Stubble Burning on Ambient Air Quality of a Critically Polluted Area–Mandi-Gobindgarh

Ram pal Singh, Lippi Chanduka and Amit Dhir

Ground-based ambient air monitoring was conducted at five different locations in Mandi-Gobindgarh (critically polluted area), Punjab, in order to determine the impact of stubble burning on the concentration of Particulate Matter (PM) in ambient air for one rice crop season (October 2012 to January 2013) and one wheat crop season (March 2013 to May 2013). The concentration of PM10 and PM2.5 in the ambient air was found to be more for industrial site as compared to other agricultural and mixed land use sites. Concentration of PM was found to be more in winters than in summers. The impact of stubble burning on the ambient air quality was found to be more for agricultural site (S1) when compared to other sites with an appreciable increase in concentration of PM10 and PM2.5 respectively during the paddy harvesting period and during wheat harvesting period. In general, the concentration of PM10 was significantly higher than PM2.5 and both the concentrations were beyond the prescribed limits in the ambient air. Total concentration of water soluble ionic species were found in the order of wheat pre-harvesting period