Indoor/outdoor relationships of carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen in domestic homes with roadside, urban and rural locations in a central Indian region

• Published in: Indoor air Vol. 15; no. 2; pp. 76 - 82
• Main Authors: Lawrence, A. J., Masih, A., Taneja, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Munksgaard International Publishers 01.04.2005
• Subjects: Air Pollutants - analysis; Air Pollutants - standards; Air Pollution, Indoor - analysis; Carbon monoxide; Carbon Monoxide - analysis; Domestic homes; Environmental Monitoring; India; Indoor air quality; Indoor/outdoor pollution; Motor Vehicles; Nitrogen Oxides - analysis; Oxides of nitrogen; Rural Population; Statistical correlation; Urban Population; Vehicle Emissions - analysis; India; India, Uttar Pradesh, Agra Dist., Agra
• ISSN: 0905-6947; 1600-0668
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0668.2004.00311.x

Indoor air quality (IAQ) has been a matter of public concern these days whereas air pollution is normally monitored outdoors as part of obligations under the National air quality strategies. Much little is known about levels of air pollution indoors. Simultaneous measurements of indoor and outdoor carbon monoxide (CO) and oxides of nitrogen (NO and NO2) concentrations were conducted at three different environments, i.e. rural, urban and roadside in Agra, India, using YES - 205 multigas monitor during the winter season, i.e. October 2002-February 2003. A statistical correlation analysis of indoor concentration levels with outdoor concentrations was carried out. CO was maximum at roadside locations with indoor concentrations 2072.5 +/- 372 p.p.b. and outdoor concentrations 1220 +/- 281 p.p.b. (R2 = 0.005). Oxides of nitrogen were found maximum at urban site; NO concentration was 385 +/- 211 and 637 +/- 269 p.p.b. for indoors and outdoors respectively (R2 = 0.90792), where as NO2 concentration was 255 +/- 146 p.p.b. for indoors and 460 +/- 225 p.p.b. for outdoors (R2 = 0939464). Although indoor concentration at all the houses of the three sites have a positive correlation with outdoor concentration, CO variation indoors was very less due to outdoor sources. An activity schedule of inside and outside these homes were also prepared to see its influence and concentrations of pollutants. As standards for indoor air were not available for the Indian conditions these were compared with the known standards of other countries, where as outdoor concentrations were compared with the standards given by the Central Pollution Control board, which shows that indoor concentrations of both NO(x) and CO lie below permissible limits but outdoor concentrations of NO(x) cross the standard limits. ''India currently bears the largest number of indoor air pollution (IAP) related health problems in world. An estimated 500,000 women & children die in India each year due to IAP-related cause--this is 25% of estimated IAP-related deaths worldwide. This study will be useful for policy makers, health related officials, academicians and Scientists who have interest in countries of developing world''.