Air Quality Analysis – December 2022

Below is a brief representation of data captured by portable devices installed in multiple locations in Korba, Delhi and Ranchi. The analysis has been done for two reporting periods – 1 December to 31 December 2022 and Jan to December 2022

Section 1 – Data Analysis for period Jan to December 2022

Table and Graph above show the Average Monthly AQI in different Cities. The graph and data clearly showcase the winter months when AQI comes under dangerous levels and summer and monsoon months when the air quality is Satisfactory. It is clear that AQI is showing an increasing trend with the onset of winter. During this period, Delhi recorded the worst AQI in the month of November. Out of 12 months, for 8-month AQI in Delhi was above 100 while Korba had AQI above 100 for 10 months. December Air quality has improved over the previous month figures. The overall data for Korba shows that Korba Air is more polluted than Delhi for longer durations in the year.  The different colour bands in the graph respond to the AQI categories as stated in the NAAQs

The above table shows the Monthly Average Heat Index for different cities.

Particulate Matter – Paniculate matter or PM is the amount of dust particles in the air. These particles can be of different types i.e. organic, metallic etc. There are different sizes for these particles. Particles of size 10 micron are called PM 10. Those between size of 2.5 and 10 micron are called PM 2.5. those between 1 and 2.5 micron are labelled as PM1. The smaller the size of the particles, the easier for it to enter the air stream of the body and cause more impact. NAAQS and WHO (Word Health Organisation) have both set limits for amount of such particles in the air for PM 2.5 and PM 10. Below are the limits set. It is clear that the Indian standard is more then the WHO ADQ standard. There are no standards yet for PM 1 which is considerably more harmful.

Below is the table showing Monthly Average PM 2.5 values in different cities. In none of the months did any of the cities meet the higher Indian standard. In both Delhi and Korba, the values were more than 4 times the values in some of the months. Only during the monsoon period were the values closer to the standard but were still above.

 The table below show the Monthly Average PM 10 values in different cities. Except for a few months (Highlighted in Green) which were during the monsoon months, none of the cities met the Indian Standards. In comparison with the WHO ADQ standard, none even came close.

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