Study of Ambient Air Quality in Urban and Rural Residential Areas of Kalyan City in Maharashtra

Major issues and increasing risk factor due to the air pollution, causes for ill health in India and to the country’s burden of disease. Rural and urban towns of India are both affected by poor air quality. Urban activities create more pollution as compare with rural activities. This paper assesses the status of ambient air quality in urban and rural residential area of adjoining village of Kalyan city. For assessment purpose, three monitoring sites were selected for urban as well as nearby adjourning residential rural to understand the present status of the air quality of this region. The ambient air quality was studies using assessing the air pollutants parameters, namely, Particulate matter less than 10 microns (PM10), Particulate matter less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Ammonia (NH3), and Carbon Monoxide (CO). After assessing, it has been observed that PM10 and PM2.5 valves found high at Urban as comparison to Rural site at all locations, exceeded the prescribed standard. Gaseous pollutants are found to be in prescribed standards at urban and rural sites. Air Quality Index were observed as heavily polluted at all urban sites and also at one rural site (Koregaon). It is recommended that particulate matter should be reduced at urban as well as rural areas.