Contribution of Black Carbon Aerosol from Vehicles and Industries in Kathmandu Case Study
Author Affiliations
- 1Pulchowk Campus Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, NEPAL
- 2 Central Department of Chemistry, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, NEPAL
- 3 Depart of Physics Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, NORWAY
Res.J.chem.sci., Volume 2, Issue (11), Pages 34-39, November,18 (2012)
Abstract
Black carbon (BC) aerosol was measured at an interval of every five minutes at Pulchowk Campus, Lalitpur Nepal from May 2009 to 6th May 2010 using seven channels Magee Scientific AE-31 Aethalometer. In this paper, the data of six continuous strike days and working day are analyzed to identify the actual portion of BC contributed by vehicles and industries in the total concentration of BC aerosol. During six continuous strike days, 1-6 May 2010 all the industries were completely shut down and there were no vehicles plying on the road. Therefore, BC emission by vehicles and industries was considered as zero and only domestic activity was assumed as main source. In working day the mean value of BC aerosol was 10.91µg m-3 in a range between 5.45µg m-3and 22.3 µg m-3 while on the first day of strike, it was between 3.03 and 11.9 µg m-3 with the mean value of 6.31µg m-3. On the last day of the strike, the variation of BC aerosol from minimum to maximum was ranging between 1.90 µg m-3 to 11.59 µg m-3 having mean value as 5.07 µg m-3. The contribution of BC aerosol by vehicles and industries was found to be about 50%. The diurnal trend of BC aerosol in one working day and strike days is nearly similar but the peak hour concentration of BC on a working day was nearly two folds of strike days. Further, a clear inverse relationship between BC and wind speed was also found.
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