Assessment of Particulate and Trace Element Pollution in Airborne Dust around a Highly Mechanized Opencast Coal Mine in Talcher, Odisha

Abstract

Particulate pollution is considered as one of the important environmental problems in coal mining area. The particulate matter (PM) not only affects human, but also degrade the nearby vegetation and the ecological environment in many ways. This fetches the attention of researchers many times all over the world to work on the issue. Talcher coal field is one of the oldest coalfields of India with a very high coal deposit. In this study monitoring of respirable PM (PM₁₀& PM_2.5) has been performed at eight monitoring stations around a high mechanized opencast coalmine for two seasons i.e., summer and winter. Samples were collected as per the standard criteria of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), New Delhi, India. The study on the seasonal variations of PM concentration confirmed the high concentration of PM in the winter season as compared to the summer season. A total of 10 trace elements were analyzed and selected for source apportionment of PM and heavy metal. Statistical techniques such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and correlation analysis were deployed for source identification and respective contribution to PM. The major sources of trace metals and PM were mainly from coal mining and associated activities, and from vehicular emission in the study area.