ESTIMATION OF PM10 CONCENTRATIONS IN STREET CANYON OF PUNE SATARA ROAD USING STREET BOX MODEL

The research involved computing particulate matter concentrations in the street canyon using Mensink and Lewyckyj's STREET BOX model and assessing the quality of air with regards to the particulate matter concentration for a period of one week for a selected area in the city of Pune, India. The pollutant concentration was calculated using the data obtained on hourly basis during the observation week. The effect of variations in wind velocity, wind direction and traffic behavior (for diverse category of vehicles) was studied for this (PM10) pollutant concentration for a defined length of time. Other physical conditions in the street such as average height of building (under the study area), length and width of street gave an idea of the canyon geometry and were used accordingly in the model. Pune-Satara road is one of the busiest and crowded roads in the city of Pune, India. It extends up to a distance of 6.5 kilometers. Pune features among Maharashtra's worst polluted cities in a recent World Health Organization (WHO) report. This is attributed to the vehicular emissions that are the major contributor of air pollution.