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SEM-EDX analysis of various sizes aerosols in Delhi India

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Abstract

Scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX) was used to understand the differences in morphology, elemental composition and particle density of aerosols in different five size ranges to further investigate the potential sources as well as transport of pollutants from/at a much polluted and a very clean area of Delhi. Aerosol samples were obtained in five different size ranges viz. ≥10.9, 10.9−5.4, 5.4−1.6, 1.6−0.7 and ≤0.7µm from a considerably very clean and a much polluted area of Delhi. It was observed that at polluted area most of the particles irrespective of size are of anthropogenic origin. At clean area, in coarse size fractions particles are of natural origin while in fine size range the presence of anthropogenic particles suggests the transport of particles from one area to the other.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110 067, India

    Arun Srivastava & V. K. Jain

  2. Department of Physics, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221 005, India

    Anchal Srivastava

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  1. Arun Srivastava
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  2. V. K. Jain
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  3. Anchal Srivastava
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Correspondence to Arun Srivastava.

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Srivastava, A., Jain, V.K. & Srivastava, A. SEM-EDX analysis of various sizes aerosols in Delhi India. Environ Monit Assess 150, 405–416 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-008-0239-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-008-0239-0

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