Journal of Environmental Biology

Concentration of nitrite in  respirable particulate matter of

ambient air in Vadodara, Gujarat, India

 

Sukesh Narayan Sinha*, N.M. Desai, G.M. Patel, M.M. Mansuri and V. Shivgotra

 

National Institute of Occupational Health, Meghaninagar, Ahmedabad - 380 016, India

(Received: April 14, 2007; Revised received: November 06, 2007; Re-revised received: December 22, 2007; Accepted: February 10, 2008)

 

Abstract: Water extract of respirable particulate matter (RPM) was analyzed by Ion chromatography technique to investigate the presence of nitrite (NO₂) as secondary aerosol in ambient environment. The nitrite particulates undergo photo hydroxyl radical reaction in environment produce nitrous acid, which reacts with metal and absorbs on RPM as water-soluble metal salt. The mean concentration of nitrite was 20.86 µg m^-3 in ambient environment.  Regression analysis showed that the relationship for respirable particulate matter and nitrite (RPM-NO₂, R²=0.742) was positively significant. We are reporting the presence of nitrite as an aerosol in ambient environment.

Key words: Nitrite, Ion chromatography, Ambient environment

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