Characterization and source apportionment of organic compounds in PM10 using PCA and PMF at a traffic hotspot of Delhi

Air quality in megacity Delhi is deteriorating with alarming particulate levels. 24 h sampling of PM10 to determine the composition, seasonal variation and sources of organic molecular markers, was done from January 2015 to December 2015, at the University campus (Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women- IGDTUW), Delhi, India. The organic fraction of PM10 is composed of a mixture of numerous organic compounds, including alkanes, alkanoic acids, carbonyl compounds, anhydrosugars, and aromatic compounds that serve as specific signatory molecules or organic tracers to their sources. The homologous chains of n-alkanes and n-alkanoic acids showed a typical distribution in the ranges of C12-C30. The