Source apportionment of mercury in dust fallout at urban residential area of Central India

Abstract. The components and quantities of atmospheric dust fallout have been reported to be the pollution indicator of large urban areas. The multiplicity and complexity of sources of atmospheric dusts in urban regions (e.g. industrial complexes composed of a variety of industrial processes, automobiles, construction activities etc.) has put forward the need of source apportionment of these sources indicating their contribution to specific environmental receptor. The study presented here is focused on investigation of source contribution estimates of Mercury in urban dust fallout in an urban-industrial area, Raipur, India. Source-receptor based representative sampling plan using longitudinal study design has been adopted. Six sampling sites have been identified on the basis of land use for development plan of anthropogenic activities and factors related to the transportation and dispersion pattern of atmospheric dusts. 24 samples of dust fallout has been collected from each site (one in each month) and subjected to chemical analysis of selected chemical constituents known as markers of selected major dust emitting sources (Steel making average, Road traffic-borne dusts, construction activities, Auto mobile exhaust, and soils). Chemical composition of dust measured at sites marked for identified sources alongwith SPECIATE of USEPA has been used for the preparation of source profiles. Three classified residential receptors (ambient-outdoor, house-indoors and local street-outdoors) have been chosen for development of receptor compositional profiles. Source apportionment has been done using Chemical Mass Balance (CMB 8). Good fit parameters and relative source contribution has been analysed and documented. Dust fallout and respective mercury levels were found tobe higher compared to prescribed standards. Variation in relative contribution of selected sources from site to site within the study area has been occurred. Dominance of local line and area sources (road-traffic and construction borne dusts) on mercury levels measured at selected residential receptors compared to stationary industrial sources has been observed. Road-traffic has shown highest contribution of dust and mercury in house-indoors, while in case of ambient-outdoor the receptor has shown different higher susceptibility of identified sources for dust and mercury. The results of CMB output and regression data of source-receptor dust matrices have shown comparable pattern.