Wintertime PM2.5 and PM10 carbonaceous and inorganic constituents from urban site in western India

Daily variability in the chemical composition of atmospheric PM2.5 and PM10 has been studied from an urban site (Ahmedabad) in western India over a span of 30 days during winter. The PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentrations ranged from 32 to 106 μg m− 3 and 121 to 327 μg m− 3, respectively. On average, PM2.5 constitutes ~ 33% of PM10, indicating dominance of coarse mode aerosols in the urban atmosphere. The particulate EC and OC show higher abundances in PM2.5 (average: 3.0 ± 0.9 and 18.3 ± 5.9 μg m− 3 respectively) whereas those in PM10 are 4.4 ± 2.4 and 29.8 ± 11.2 μg m− 3 respectively. A linear increasing trend and representative OC/EC ratio of 6.2 indicate their primary source from biomass burning emissions. The water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC: 4.0–14.7 μg m− 3) and its linear relationship with K+ (0.6–1.7 μg m− 3) in PM2.5 further support biomass burning emissions as a dominant source for carbonaceous aerosol. Among water-soluble inorganic species, SO42− is the most abundant (range: 3.2–22.5 μg m− 3); almost all of it occurs in fine mode (PM2.5) and exhibits near-quantitative neutralization with NH4+ (r = 0.98, slope: 1.3). The water-soluble Ca2+ and Mg2+ mainly abundant in the coarse mode, suggest significant contribution from mineral dust. Documenting large temporal variability in the chemical composition of coarse and fine mode aerosol is essential in order to assess the changing regional emission scenario over mega-cities and their down-wind transport.

► Wintertime variability in chemical composition of PM10 and PM2.5 is studied at Ahmedabad, India. ► Up to 50% of the total water-soluble acidic species in PM10 are neutralized by mineral dust. ► Sum of anthropogenic species (EC, OC, NO3− and SO42−) in PM2.5 makes up to ~ 85% of the mass. ► In PM2.5, WSOC exhibits association with K+ indicating dominance of biomass burning sources.