<smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"><smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"> Study of spatial variability and enrichment of selected toxic elements in ambient particulate matter around a phosphatic fertilizer plant in central India </smarttagtype></smarttagtype>

Abstract

Up and downwind sampling methodology is adopted to assess the contribution of some selected toxic elements in ambient air around a phosphatic fertilizer plant located in southeastern part of Chhattisgarh State of India. Ambient air sampling for Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) and Non-Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (NRSPM) were carried out from September 2000 to June 2001 and fifteen selected elements (Fe, Ca, Mg, Na, K, Al, Zn, Mn, Cu, Cr, Co, Cd, Pb, As, Hg and Ni) were analyzed by standard methods of chemical analysis. Out of these elements F, Cr, Pb, Ni, Cu, Cd and As have shown higher enrichment values. Almost all the elements have shown higher spatial variability in RSPM than NRSPM fraction of the dust.