IJEP 45(6): 573-580 : Vol. 45 Issue. 6 (June 2025)
Banasthali Vidyapith, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Tonk – 304 022, Rajasthan, India
Abstract
Air pollution is one of the most consequential environmental issues faced by countries with developed as well as developing economies worldwide. Most urban areas in developing countries suffer from the expulsion of pollutants, which are detrimental to human health and the natural ecosystem. The dispersal of airborne pollutants into the surrounding environment is a direct result of urbanization and industrialization, which are necessary to meet the increasing demands of an expanding population. Firozabad is the hub of India’s glass-making industry, often referred to as the glass capital of India. The city has glass manufacturing activities and traffic congestion, which increases ambient air pollution. The current study is concerned with the impact of industrialization and vehicular emissions on the ambient air quality of Firozabad city. Secondary data of ambient air pollutants, such as respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM), suspended particulate matter (SPM), SO2, NOx from 2010 to 2022 were collected from the Office of Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board, Firozabad of three sites in industrial, residential and commercial areas of the city. Monitoring data for 3 sites was measured with the help of a respirable dust sampler (RDS) available from Envirotech Instruments Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi. In the present study, it is found that, except for SO2, all 3 pollutants exceeded the prescribed standards as stipulated by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The highest concentrations of pollutants were found in 2014 and the lowest in 2020-2022 at every monitoring site in the city. This study aims to illustrate the status of ambient air quality using an air quality index and analysis of the data reveals that Firozabad city is suffering from severe air pollution.
Keywords
Air pollution, Air quality index, Industrialization, Pollutants, Urbanization
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