Contamination of building roof dust in India

The ambient air quality in Raipur city, Chhattisgarh state, India is poor during the winter season due to the lowest wind speed and temperature inversion. The whole buildings in the city are covered by the black fugitive dust. In this work, characterization and sources of contaminants, i.e. carbons, Al, As, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, F-, Cl-, SO4 (2-), NO3 (-), NH4 (+), Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+, in the building roof dust of Raipur area, central India are described. Significant concentration of black carbon (BC), SO4 (2-), Ca2+, Al, Fe and Mn in the dusts was observed, ranging from 8.7 to 21.9, 0.5 to 2.1, 1.8 to 2.9, 2.1 to 4.8, 6.2 to 13.4 and 0.34 to 0.95 % with mean value (p = 0.05) of 14.1 +/- 2.6, 1.2 +/- 0.3, 2.3 +/- 0.2, 3.3 +/- 0.4, 9.4 +/- 1.2 and 0.64 +/- 0.11 %, respectively. The concentration of toxic metals, i.e. As, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb, ranged from 13.8 to 47.3, 57 to 187, 36 to 89, 31 to 177, 208 to 472, 0.11 to 0.53 and 93 to 366 mg kg(-1) with mean value (p = 0.05) of 21.5 +/- 6.0, 111 +/- 22, 59 +/- 9, 102 +/- 23, 306 +/- 48, 0.28 +/- 0.08 and 176 +/- 48 mg kg(-1), respectively. The cluster and factor analysis models were used to apportion sources of elements linked to several anthropogenic activities in the study area. The concentration variations, pollution indices and toxicities of the contaminants are described.