Decadal change of air pollution of two selected locations of Kolkata, West Bengal

Abstract

Data on the concentration of air pollutants in a recently constructed industrial park in Kolkata, India's rapidly expanding metropolis, is presented in this study. Kolkata is a part of the State of West Bengal. By gathering records of monthly secondary data of air pollutants from the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) website, the ambient air quality assessment was conducted at two different locations, namely Behala Chowrasta and Ultodanga, with respect to SOx, NOx, suspended particulate matter (SPM) and respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM), as well as the Air Quality Index (AQI). It is shown that even the average concentrations of SPM, NOx, Sox, and AQI were at their maximum levels in the winter, summer, and rainy season, respectively, at the two location sites. Following data collection, a graph was used to statistically analyse the decadal change in air pollution. Standard division was used to add or subtract error from the monthly average value of air pollutants for the years 2009 to 2019. Ultimately, statistical tools such as the Box Plot and Regression technique were employed to conduct trend analysis in order to determine the nature of the air pollution trend at the two Kolkata locations that were mentioned between 2009 and 2019. Up until 2030, the future trend in air pollution was also computed using the preceding pattern as a guide. Precautions and solutions for improving air quality were also covered. The second section examined the state of the air quality during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2021, examining the air quality throughout the three distinct phases of pre-, lockdown, and post-lockdown of the two same locations of Kolkata.