Assessment of air quality at the municipal waste dumping site in Aizawl, Mizoram

Abstract

A study was done on the air quality of the Tuirial municipal dumping site in Aizawl, Mizoram, India. The air quality for suspended particulate matter (SPM), respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM), NO2 and SO2 was analysed for a period of one year during 2011-2012. The study was undertaken under the aegis of MIPOGRASS (Mizo Post Graduate Science Society) and the Directorate of Science and Technology, Government of Mizoram. The SPM and RSPM concentra-tions were to a great extent above the permissible limit of the the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) throughout the study period. The highest SPM mean concentration was on April 2012 at 789.64 (SD ± 1172.73) μg/m3 and highest RSPM on November 2011 at 1345.99 (SD ±1 08.29) μg/m3. The mean concentration of NO2 also showed above permissible limits for four months with highest on March 2012 at 43.62 (SD ± 8.19) μg/m3. The SO2 showed highest concentration at 1.95 (SD ± 0.57) μg/m3 which was within the permissible limit throughout the study period.