An assessment of atmospheric concentrations and spatiotemporal variation of BTEX and associated pollutants in India.

Publisher: IOS Press Country of Publication: Netherlands NLM ID: 100967627 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1001-0742 (Print) Linking ISSN: 10010742 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Environ Sci (China) Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: Amsterdam : IOS Press
Original Publication: Beijing : Editorial Dept. of Journal of Environmental Sciences (China), 1989-

Air Pollutants*/analysis ; Xylenes*/analysis ; Benzene Derivatives*/analysis ; Environmental Monitoring* ; Toluene*/analysis ; Benzene*/analysis; India ; Air Pollution/statistics & numerical data ; Air Pollution/analysis ; Seasons ; Atmosphere/chemistry

Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) pollution poses a serious threat to public health and the environment because of its respiratory and neurological effects, carcinogenic properties, and adverse effects on air quality. BTEX exposure is a matter of grave concern in India owing to the growing vehicular and development activities, necessitating the assessment of atmospheric concentrations and their spatial variation. This paper presents a comprehensive assessment of ambient concentrations and spatiotemporal variations of BTEX in India. The study investigates the correlation of BTEX with other criteria pollutants and meteorological parameters, aiming to identify interrelationships and diagnostic indicators for the source characterization of BTEX emissions. Additionally, the paper categorizes various regions in India according to the Air Quality Index (AQI) based on BTEX pollution levels. The results reveal that the northern zone of India exhibits the highest levels of BTEX pollution compared to central, eastern, and western regions. In contrast, the southern zone experiences the least pollution with BTEX. Seasonal analysis indicates that winter and post-monsoon periods, characterized by lower temperatures, are associated with higher BTEX levels due to the accumulation of localized emissions. When comparing the different zones in India, high traffic emissions and localized activities, such as solvent use and solvent evaporation, are found to be the primary sources of BTEX. The findings of the current study aid in source characterization and identification, and better understanding of the region's air quality problems, which helps in the development of focused BTEX pollution reduction and control strategies.
Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Keywords: AQI; BTEX; India; Spatiotemporal variation; VOCs

0 (Air Pollutants)
0 (Xylenes)
0 (Benzene Derivatives)
3FPU23BG52 (Toluene)
L5I45M5G0O (ethylbenzene)
J64922108F (Benzene)

Date Created: 20240921 Date Completed: 20240921 Latest Revision: 20240921

20240922

10.1016/j.jes.2024.03.004

39306398