NEW DELHI: Not just particle pollutants but toxic gases in the air were also to blame for people gasping for breath this Diwali.
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The concentration of major toxic gases, including carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3), ammonia (NH3) and benzene (C6H6), rose against their respective daily average on Thursday.
According to Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), the concentration of CO on Diwali day this year was 2.9mg/m as against 4.75 mg/m3 of last year’s Diwali. The safe limit is up to two units. “The minimum value was observed at RK Puram and the maximum at Punjabi Bagh,” said DPCC.
The NO2 levels saw an average concentration (for 24 hrs) between 13µg/m3 and 173 µg/m3 as against 51.5µg/m3 and 121.67 µg/m3 recorded during last year’s Diwali day (safe standards 80 units). The minimum average concentration was observed at Bawana and the maximum at Karni Singh. Sulphur dioxide’s average concentration ranged from 1.16 µg/m3 to 42.41µg/m3 as against 10.12 µg/m3 to 44.33 µg/m3 witnessed last year on Diwali (safe limit 80 units). Its minimum concentration was observed at Najafgarh and maximum at RK Puram.
The concentration of ammonia, benzene and CO remained well within the safe limits.
