Assessment of Potential Source and the Source Region of Particulate Matter in an Urban Area of Delhi, India

This study addresses how the potential emission sources, regions (e.g., local, regional, and trans-boundary) and the trajectory stimulate the level of particulate matter (PM10) at observation site. Therefore, to comprehend such significant issues the chemical species, morphology and elements (EC, OC, WSOC, Al, S, Ti, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Br, Pb, Cr, F, Cl, Na, K, Mg, Ca, and P) of PM10 were investigated over Delhi. Trajectory analysis and potential source contribution function identify dominating regions like Haryana, Punjab, Indo-Gangetic Plains, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bay of Bengal, and Arabian Sea contributing to the mass concentration of PM10 at the sampling site. Furthermore, conditional bivariate probability function (CBPF) was programmed to the five components of principal component analysis [crustal/road dust, industrial emissions, biomass burning + fossil-fuel combustion (BB + FCC), mixed emissions, and vehicular emissions]. Where, industrial emissions shows the maximum probability in the (N–W and S–W) directions; vehicular emissions probability was higher in the (S–E and S–W) direction, (N–E and N–W) shows the maximum probability of (BB + FCC). These CBPF programmed directions were quite obvious for the sources in such directions. Subsequently, the field-emission scanning electron microscope study showed different particulate morphology as spherical, irregular, and flocculent, thus defining the possible potential sources.