Seasonal trends of PM10, PM5.0, PM2.5 & PM1.0 in indoor and outdoor environments of residential homes located in North-Central India

This study presents data on the size characterization concentration of PM10, PM5.0, PM2.5 and PM1.0. These particulate concentrations were monitored from October-07 to March-09 indoors and outdoors of five roadside and five urban homes using Grimm aerosol spectrometer in Agra, India. Annual average concentrations of coarse particles (PM10) indoor and outdoor were 247 μg m−3 and 255 μg m−3 at roadside houses and 181 μg m−3 and 195 μg m−3 at urban houses. PM5.0 concentrations at roadside houses were 211 μg m−3 and 230 μg m−3 and at urban houses were 145 μg m−3 and 159 μg m−3. For fine particles (PM2.5) the annual mean concentrations were 161 μg m−3 and 160 μg m−3 at roadside houses and 109 μg m−3 and 123 μg m−3 at urban houses. PM1.0 concentrations at roadside houses were 111 μg m−3 and 112 μg m−3 while at urban houses they were 99 μg m−3 and 104 μg m−3. Monthly and seasonal variations of coarse and fine particulate matter have been studied at both the monitoring sites. Significant seasonal variations of particulate pollutants were obtained using the daily average particulate concentrations along with the inter particulate ratios. Particulate indoor/outdoor ratios and concentrations were also linked with meteorological conditions and indoor activities using occupant’s diary entries. The concentration of all sizes of particulate matter was found to be highest in winter season due to increase human activities and more space heating in indoors and due to low windspeed and high humidity in outdoors in comparison with other seasons. There was a strong correlation between indoor and outdoor particulate at both the sites. Health problems in occupants of the houses with higher concentrations of the fine particulate matter were more prominent. Household activities like cooking on stoves, indoor smoking and outdoor vehicular traffic, and garbage burning were found to be the major sources of particulate emissions indoor as well as outdoors.