Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

A CASE STUDY ON AIR POLLUTION DURING DIWALI FESTIVAL AT VISAKHAPATNAM, INDIA

Kavitha Chandu and Madhavaprasad Dasari

Abstract

This study focuses on the variation in air quality assessed from mass concentrations of air pollutants [PM10, PM2.5, SO2 and NO2] for Pre-Diwali, Diwali and Post-Diwali days (October, November) in Visakhapatnam for two consecutive years, 2018 and 2019. For the first time, study about firework episode was carried out in this region. The results indicate that fireworks during Diwali festival affected the ambient air quality adversely due to emission and accumulation of PM2.5, PM10, SO2 and NO2. The effect is less in 2019 than 2018, due wash out of pollutants by rain water.