Abstract
Air pollution is a global issue, and its health impacts are discussed at the major level. Among different types of air pollutants, Particulate Matter (PM) is a primary pollutant that causes serious health issues related to pulmonary functions. India, one of the rapidly developing countries propelled by intense urbanization and industrial growth, faces escalating emissions of air pollutants in its major urban cities. This study estimates the air quality and associated respiratory deposition doses (RDD) of PM2.5 and PM10 in five major cities of India: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, and Bangalore from 2019 to 2022. The study collectes air quality data from the air quality monitoring station, data are analysed using R software and the visualizations are done using Origin software. The study period experienced different emission patterns due to restrictions imposed on anthropogenic sources due to the widespread pandemic. The study helps to estimate the role of anthropogenic sources on urban air quality and found that reducing sources improves air quality and leads to less exposure. The PM2.5 concentration in the cities ranges from 17 to 65 µg/m3, and PM10 ranges from 41 to 178 µg/m3 for four consecutive years. The walking mode RDD for PM2.5 ranged from 0.52 to 1.42 µg/min and 1.21 to 3.73 µg/min for PM10. Similarly, the RDD ranged for sitting mode from 0.18 to 0.51 µg/min for PM2.5 and 0.45 to 1.34 µg/min for PM10. In general, over the four years of study period, Delhi city experienced the highest pollution load, and Mumbai experienced the lowest. The maximum reduction of RDD values was found in Kolkata, with a 41% reduction. The study outcomes revealed the role of anthropogenic emissions in urban air quality and emphasize the need to adopt mitigation measures to improve air quality and human health.