Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations

Ambient air quality monitoring station measures real time and peak concentration levels of
dangerous pollutants in air.

Industrial and vehicular emissions along with other anthropogenic activities release air pollutants
in the atmosphere across Indian cities. It is important to monitor them and keep them under control
in order to prevent risk to human health and protect the survival of other living organisms.

Number of AAQM station across India

Centre of Pollution Control Board (CPCB) initiated a nationwide ambient air quality monitoring
programme called national air quality monitoring programme (NAQMP) which comprises of 342
monitoring stations all over 127 Indian cities/towns located in 26 states and 4 union territories of
the country.

Below are the objectives of the N.A.M.P.

 To determine the current status and trends of ambient air quality
 To examine if the prescribed ambient air quality standards are maintained or not
 To identify the cities that do not abide by the standards
 To gain knowledge and an insight required for developing preventive and corrective
measures
 To understand the natural cleansing process undergoing in the environment through various
processes such as pollution dilution, dispersion, wind based movement, dry deposition,
precipitation and chemical transformation of the pollutants released.

NAQMP focuses on four air pollutants for regular monitoring at all the stations:
 Sulphur dioxide (SO2)
 Nitrogen oxides (NOx)
 Suspended particulate matter (SPM)
 Respirable suspended matter (PM10)

NAQM also considers geographical parameters while conducting measurements such as:
 Wind speed
 Wind direction
 Relative humidity
 Temperature

The monitoring is performed for 24 hours which includes 4 hours of gaseous pollutants sampling
and 8 hours of PM sampling, repeated twice a week to yield 104 observations in a year.

Benefits for AAQM stations

It has been observed that SO2 and NO2 levels in residential areas of all the cities abide by the
prescribed National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). However, a decreasing trend has
been found in the SO2 levels in some cities including Delhi and Lucknow. The RSPM levels have
been discovered to exceed the prescribed NAAQS in residential areas of many cities displaying
fluctuating trends in the values recorded.
There can be high levels of carbon monoxide (CO) in Delhi due to an increase in the number of
vehicles per person, but despite an increase in the vehicular population, CO levels in Delhi have
reduced during the past years. This can be attributed to the implementation of measures such as
conversion of three wheelers of CNG in Delhi.

Karnataka State Pollution Control Board has installed and commissioned two Continuous Ambient
Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS), one at City Railway Station, Bangalore and another
at Nisarga Bhavan, Saneguruvanahalli in Bangalore. Both the stations operate for 24 hours
throughout the year and the data recovered is sent to the CPCB.

Importance of AAQM stations

Ambient air quality monitoring stations help in examining the effectiveness of prescribed
standards and assess the quality of life. Depending upon the conditions, measures can be
implemented to maintain the ambient air quality standards.

Number of AAQM stations in a city

The number of stations installed in a city is decided based upon the records of sources of air
pollution and emission and the number may vary depending on factors such as the distribution of
pollutants, data needed for monitoring, pollutants examined and the area population. In 1977, the
World Health Organization (WHO) provided a set of guidelines on the location of monitoring
stations.

Parameters influencing site selection for AAQM Station

The parameters influencing site selections for ambient air quality monitoring are sites which
indicate possibility or traces of air pollution such as industrial areas, cities and traffic junctions.

Measurements from different cities allow a comparison and help to observe a trend in the patterns
of air quality at various metropolitan locations. Factors such as long term site availability, easy
access to the site during a year of conducting measurements, sufficient supply of water, electricity
and telephone connection, and safe and protected site from adverse weather conditions determine
the suitability of a site for the establishment of air quality monitoring stations. Since geographical
parameters influence air quality measurements, they are measured during AAQM as well.

Evaluation of air pollutants

Below are the parameters which can be recorded by AAQM station and respective sensor to
measure air quality:

 The velocity of air is measured by an anemometer

 Wind direction is measured by wind vane
 Rainfall and precipitation by precipitation gauge or rain gauge
 Temperature by thermometer
 Humidity dry and wet bulb hygrometers
 Humidity of air by sling psychrometers
 Mixing height by SODAR
SO2 and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are analyzed by wet chemical method which is easy to use in
India. High volume sampler is used for measuring particulate matter and respirable particulate
matter sample for RSPM in India.

The measurements of ozone, lead, CO are performed by laboratory methods. Field and laboratory
measurements are conducted by experts (That’s us!) who ensure maintenance of quality control,
and the data collected is handled and analyzed appropriated along with application of corrections
wherever necessary.

The data obtained using AAQM stations is utilized by CPCB to examine the nationwide status of
air pollutants.