What’s Delhi breathing? IITM’s new lab decodes air mix
The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology has launched a new laboratory in Delhi to provide real-time data on air pollution sources. Initial findings indicate that vehicles are the primary contributor to PM2.5 levels in the city.
Why it matters
Real-time source-apportionment data is essential for policymakers to design effective interventions against Delhi's chronic air quality crisis.
NEW DELHI: Vehicles were the single largest contributor to Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution Saturday, accounting for 25%, according to data generated by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology’s (IITM) newly inaugurated Integrated Atmospheric Chemistry and Aerosol Toxicity Analysis Laboratory (AATAL). Secondary organic aerosols contributed 18.4%, followed by secondary inorganic aerosols (16.5%), road dust (10.9%) and waste burning (5%).The laboratory, which provides real-time source-apportionment data, was inaugurated in New Rajendra Nagar by Union minister of state Jitendra Singh Saturday. Equipped with 25 advanced instruments and built at an estimated instrument cost of Rs 79.5 crore, the facility is designed to identify pollutants, trace their sources, understand how they transform in the atmosphere and assess their potential health impacts.AATAL will complement IITM’s existing Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS), which provides AQI forecasts, and the Decision Support System (DSS), which estimates the contribution of local and regional pollution sources.
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