Effects of air pollution on monumental buildings in India: An overview

Recent advancements in environmental monitoring and analysis have created public and institutional awareness on the social and health impacts of air pollution at public places of tourists’ attraction. Monuments stand as the celebrated remnants of bygone representations in the social and cultural tradition of any civilised state. India, being one of the oldest and live civilisations, owns numerous places of historical evidences in the form of both constructed museums and living monuments such as temples and palaces. Continuous exposure to the emission of gaseous and particulate pollutants has made remarkable evidences of damage to the artefacts and monumental structures located in major cities of the world. The aim of this study is to present an overview of the scientific attempts pertaining to the evaluation of impacts of air pollution and other meteorological changes on the historical monuments in India in the context of the global scenario. It is observed that seasonal fluctuations in the outdoor climate and increased human activities in the vicinity of the museums have plausible impacts on the immediate changes in the indoor air quality. The variations in the outdoor air quality are greatly affected by the traffic emissions and industrial emissions, while the indoor air quality is mostly affected by the improper ventilation and lack of proper control measures. The study provides strategies for developing air quality standards for museum environment and proposes a few technical and administrative solutions to improve the air quality for indoor museums as well as outdoor monuments.