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. 2015:2015:643714.
doi: 10.1155/2015/643714. Epub 2015 Jul 14.

Assessment of Population Exposure to Coarse and Fine Particulate Matter in the Urban Areas of Chennai, India

Ramachandran Prasannavenkatesh  1 , Ramachandran Andimuthu  1 , Palanivelu Kandasamy  1 , Geetha Rajadurai  1 , Divya Subash Kumar  1 , Parthasarathy Radhapriya  1 , Malini Ponnusamy  1
Affiliations

Assessment of Population Exposure to Coarse and Fine Particulate Matter in the Urban Areas of Chennai, India

Ramachandran Prasannavenkatesh et al. ScientificWorldJournal. 2015.

Abstract

Research outcomes from the epidemiological studies have found that the course (PM10) and the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are mainly responsible for various respiratory health effects for humans. The population-weighted exposure assessment is used as a vital decision-making tool to analyze the vulnerable areas where the population is exposed to critical concentrations of pollutants. Systemic sampling was carried out at strategic locations of Chennai to estimate the various concentration levels of particulate pollution during November 2013-January 2014. The concentration of the pollutants was classified based on the World Health Organization interim target (IT) guidelines. Using geospatial information systems the pollution and the high-resolution population data were interpolated to study the extent of the pollutants at the urban scale. The results show that approximately 28% of the population resides in vulnerable locations where the coarse particulate matter exceeds the prescribed standards. Alarmingly, the results of the analysis of fine particulates show that about 94% of the inhabitants live in critical areas where the concentration of the fine particulates exceeds the IT guidelines. Results based on human exposure analysis show the vulnerability is more towards the zones which are surrounded by prominent sources of pollution.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study area.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Average PM10,2.5 concentrations for sampling locations in Chennai.
Figure 3
Figure 3
(a) PM10 vulnerability map of Chennai. (b) PM2.5 vulnerability map of Chennai.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Monthly wind speed (m/s) and wind directions over Chennai. Data derived from ECMWF (at 6-h interval), (a) November 2013, (b) December 2013, (c) January 2014, and (d) February 2014.
Figure 5
Figure 5
PM10 PWEL of zones in Chennai under WHO IT guidelines.
Figure 6
Figure 6
PM2.5 PWEL of zones in Chennai under WHO IT guidelines.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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