Assessment of seasonal variations in the fine particulate matter of indoor air in sub urban area of Jammu District (J&K), India

Abstract

Indoor aerosol PM 2.5 is more harmful due to its penetration deep into lungs most ofpeoplespendingmore than 90% of their time indoor. The present study is the first timeinvestigation to evaluate the indoor aerosols (PM 2.5) in the households located in residential, commercial and industrial sub urban areas Jammu District (J&K) during different seasons of the two year study period (2017-2019). The indoor PM 2.5 was observed to exhibit deceasing trend i.e. more in summer> winter >rainy season. In non-wood fuel burning households exhibited annual average indoor PM 2.5 values below the values prescribed by CPCB and wood fuel burning households exhibited values above the values prescribed by CPCB. Moreover the indoor aerosols (PM 2.5 ) was observed be to almost four times higher in wood fuel burning households as compared with that of non-wood fuel burning households.