Air quality index for urban areas

Abstract

The quality of air in the urban areas can be described by one single number known as air quality index (AQI). An equation for calculation of AQI in India based on 4 pollutants (nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, suspended particulate matter, and respirable particulate matter) has been developed. The AQI values based on annual average concentration of the above mentioned 4 pollutants have been calculated by using the proposed equation for 7 locations in Delhi (Ashok Vihar, Janakpuri, Nizamuddin, Siri Fort, I.T.O., Shahdara, and Shahzada Bagh) for the last 5 years from 2000 to 2004. The values obtained are compared with the ORAQI equation modified for the 4 pollutants. It is found that the air quality is critical in all the residential areas and low or moderate in the industrial areas in Delhi. © 2005 - Kalpana Corporation.