VOCs in Urban Atmosphere of Lahore-Pakistan

Deteriorating ambient air quality and ever increasing air pollutant levels, especially volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other toxic substances, are faced by Lahore, Karachi, New Delhi, Kathmandu, Dhaka, and most other south Asian cities. Assessment of benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, o-xylene, and m+p xylene and other VOCs in current ambient air and emission source understanding was the center of the study design. Transport, industry, and residential sectors were among source hot spots in selected sites. Using a VOC analyzer, online measurements were undertaken in February 2006. Measured VOC levels were slightly higher in Kotlakhpat Industrial Area (ethyl benzene, 1.2-50.6 µg/cu m; benzene 0.8-40.3 µg/cu m) and other industrial sites, while levels at Chowk Yateem Khana, Azadi Chowk, Ichra, and traffic sector representative sites vary (benzene, 1-7.1 µg/cu m) (benzene, 1-7.4 µg/cu m) (benzene, 3.2-9.0 µg/cu m, ethyl benzene 3-8 µg/cu m, and xylene (m+p), 0-1.3 µg/cu m), respectively. At the model town, airport, University of Engineering & Technology, SRDC and other residential and urban sites, the only major pollutant was benzene, which varied from 0.6-7.2 µg/cu m. New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the World Health Organization and the United States Environmental Protection Agency were among the international organizations whose guideline values the measured levels were well within. Despite this, if use of benzene in gasoline continues to increase along with the trend, in the near future urban air quality conditions would worsen. Mitigation such as gasoline benzene content reduction, vehicular engine burning efficiency enhancement, and European vehicular emission standard adoption should all be adopted.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/02547821
• Authors:
  • Mansha, Muhammad
  • Saleemi, Anwar Rasheed
  • Ahmed, Muhammad Mehmood
• Publication Date: 2007-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 239-250
• Serial:
  • Mehran University Research Journal of Engineering & Technology
  • Volume: 26
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: Mehran University of Engineering and Technology
  • ISSN: 0254-7821
  • EISSN: 2413-7219
  • Serial URL: https://publications.muet.edu.pk/index.php/muetrj/index
• Publication flags:

  Open Access (libre)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air pollution; Benzene; Gasoline; Guidelines; Industries; Poisons; Pollutants; Residential areas; Standards; Toluene; Toxicity; Traffic; Transportation; Urban areas
• Uncontrolled Terms: Ambient air quality; Efficiency; Ethylbenzene; Mitigation; Sector; Sources; Volatile organic compounds; Xylene
• Geographic Terms: Lahore (Pakistan); South Asia
• Subject Areas: Energy; Environment; Operations and Traffic Management; Transportation (General); I15: Environment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01055418
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 17 2007 3:42PM