Fine and Coarse Particulate Matter in a Tropical Semi-Arid Region of South India: Mass Concentrations and Source Apportionment

Fine and Coarse Particulate Matter in a Tropical Semi-Arid Region of South India: Mass Concentrations and Source Apportionment | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Fine and Coarse Particulate Matter in a Tropical Semi-Arid Region of South India: Mass Concentrations and Source Apportionment Shaik Fasiha Begum, Annareddy Ramanjula Reddy, Chukkaluri Chandrasekhar Reddy, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6145195/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 13 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The study of Particulate Matter (PM) at Kadapa, a tropical semi-arid rural region (14.47˚N,78.82˚E, 138 m above sea level) in South India, highlights the variability and seasonal patterns of fine and coarse mode aerosol concentrations. By analyzing the PM 1 , PM 2.5 , and PM 10 , it provides valuable insights into how aerosols influence atmospheric processes and human health. PM 1 and PM 2.5 mass concentrations were generally low (0–20 µg/m³) except during the winter season. The average concentrations were 13.3 ± 0.5 µg/m³ for PM 1 and 21.5 ± 0.8 µg/m³ for PM 2.5 over the study period. PM 10 consistently exceeded 100 µg/m³ across all seasons, with an average of 66.8 ± 1.9 µg/m³. The winter and post-monsoon seasons are more conducive to fine particle accumulation, possibly due to reduced dispersion from lower wind speeds and stable atmospheric conditions. Whereas summer and monsoon seasons had the highest concentrations of PM 10 particles, possibly due to more arid conditions and increased dust from dry areas. PM concentrations were generally higher on weekdays compared to weekends, with a peak observed on Friday. This might indicate increased local human activities and pollution sources during the workweek. The study explored the relationship between AOD and meteorological factors with PM concentrations. AOD, which is a measure of the extent of aerosol particles in the atmosphere, could offer insight into the regional aerosol burden. Meteorological factors like wind speed, temperature, and humidity are known to influence aerosol dispersion and concentration. The Potential Source Contribution Function (PSCF) and Concentration Weighted Trajectory (CWT) methods identified key source regions contributing to PM 2.5 particle concentrations. The main sources were found to be inland and marine areas nearby, indicating a mix of local emissions (e.g., dust, biomass burning) and regional influences from marine aerosols. Particulate Matter Temporal changes Meteorology Source-apportionment Trajectory Models Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 22 Apr, 2025 Reviews received at journal 21 Apr, 2025 Reviews received at journal 19 Apr, 2025 Reviews received at journal 02 Apr, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 28 Mar, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 27 Mar, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 26 Mar, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 25 Mar, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 25 Mar, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 25 Mar, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 14 Mar, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 14 Mar, 2025 First submitted to journal 03 Mar, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6145195","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":437643633,"identity":"5044b7f7-7daf-4f06-91a9-beec50cc790d","order_by":0,"name":"Shaik Fasiha Begum","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Yogi Vemana University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Shaik","middleName":"Fasiha","lastName":"Begum","suffix":""},{"id":437643634,"identity":"3688b8d6-06e5-4086-aa79-5d8a19ea14bf","order_by":1,"name":"Annareddy Ramanjula Reddy","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Yogi Vemana University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Annareddy","middleName":"Ramanjula","lastName":"Reddy","suffix":""},{"id":437643635,"identity":"884262c6-57aa-4aae-a2af-280ee1096ccc","order_by":2,"name":"Chukkaluri Chandrasekhar Reddy","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Yogi Vemana University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Chukkaluri","middleName":"Chandrasekhar","lastName":"Reddy","suffix":""},{"id":437643636,"identity":"49f0de9e-9f71-4532-a78d-015fcbd6aadf","order_by":3,"name":"Thatapi Bhavana","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Yogi Vemana University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Thatapi","middleName":"","lastName":"Bhavana","suffix":""},{"id":437643637,"identity":"208ea30a-0239-4fa2-b033-517407ee36a5","order_by":4,"name":"Yadiki Nazeer Ahammed","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA4ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYHACNgh1vAFMMTaAEHFazhwgWcuNBJgWAsDgdvOzBz9ztsnx3XxjJs3DYCO74QBz2wO8Wu4cMzfs3XbbWPJ2DkhLmvGGA4ztBni13Egwk+Dddjtxw+0cY2MehsOJQC1tEvi1pH+T/Lvtdv2Gm2dAWv4TowXoHqAtCQY3eAwf8zAcIKxF8kZOmbTsttuGM8+kFT6cY5BsPPMwAS18N9K3Sb7ddlue7/jhDQfeVNjJ9h1vf4ZXi8IBOJMDGE6goGLGpx4I5BvgTPYHBNSOglEwCkbBSAUAElJSRtjv4NcAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Yogi Vemana University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yadiki","middleName":"Nazeer","lastName":"Ahammed","suffix":""},{"id":437643638,"identity":"0ede4dc3-4240-4683-a677-122d5428341e","order_by":5,"name":"Kanike Raghavendra Kumar","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Kanike","middleName":"Raghavendra","lastName":"Kumar","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-03-03 10:23:09","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6145195/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6145195/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":80299148,"identity":"0edc022d-2838-4dbe-a115-4a6b407eafb3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-04-10 08:58:35","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":2176122,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ManuscriptforAAQR03032025.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6145195/v1_covered_10a6f523-4395-42d4-9432-56e2b4ecb87c.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Fine and Coarse Particulate Matter in a Tropical Semi-Arid Region of South India: Mass Concentrations and Source Apportionment","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":false,"email":"","identity":"aerosol-and-air-quality-research","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Aerosol and Air Quality Research","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":false,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"VoR Journals","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Particulate Matter, Temporal changes, Meteorology, Source-apportionment, Trajectory Models","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6145195/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6145195/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe study of Particulate Matter (PM) at Kadapa, a tropical semi-arid rural region (14.47˚N,78.82˚E, 138 m above sea level) in South India, highlights the variability and seasonal patterns of fine and coarse mode aerosol concentrations. By analyzing the PM\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e, PM\u003csub\u003e2.5\u003c/sub\u003e, and PM\u003csub\u003e10\u003c/sub\u003e, it provides valuable insights into how aerosols influence atmospheric processes and human health. PM\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e and PM\u003csub\u003e2.5\u003c/sub\u003e mass concentrations were generally low (0\u0026ndash;20 \u0026micro;g/m\u0026sup3;) except during the winter season. The average concentrations were 13.3\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.5 \u0026micro;g/m\u0026sup3; for PM\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e and 21.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.8 \u0026micro;g/m\u0026sup3; for PM\u003csub\u003e2.5\u003c/sub\u003e over the study period. PM\u003csub\u003e10\u003c/sub\u003e consistently exceeded 100 \u0026micro;g/m\u0026sup3; across all seasons, with an average of 66.8\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.9 \u0026micro;g/m\u0026sup3;. The winter and post-monsoon seasons are more conducive to fine particle accumulation, possibly due to reduced dispersion from lower wind speeds and stable atmospheric conditions. Whereas summer and monsoon seasons had the highest concentrations of PM\u003csub\u003e10\u003c/sub\u003e particles, possibly due to more arid conditions and increased dust from dry areas. PM concentrations were generally higher on weekdays compared to weekends, with a peak observed on Friday. This might indicate increased local human activities and pollution sources during the workweek. The study explored the relationship between AOD and meteorological factors with PM concentrations. AOD, which is a measure of the extent of aerosol particles in the atmosphere, could offer insight into the regional aerosol burden. Meteorological factors like wind speed, temperature, and humidity are known to influence aerosol dispersion and concentration. The Potential Source Contribution Function (PSCF) and Concentration Weighted Trajectory (CWT) methods identified key source regions contributing to PM\u003csub\u003e2.5\u003c/sub\u003e particle concentrations. The main sources were found to be inland and marine areas nearby, indicating a mix of local emissions (e.g., dust, biomass burning) and regional influences from marine aerosols.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Fine and Coarse Particulate Matter in a Tropical Semi-Arid Region of South India: Mass Concentrations and Source Apportionment","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-04-10 08:26:27","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6145195/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-04-23T02:57:19+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-04-21T07:39:15+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-04-19T12:16:48+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-04-02T22:36:22+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"75587383225775588404248869023411132803","date":"2025-03-28T15:41:26+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"241247636495884529849326769037567252361","date":"2025-03-27T17:59:11+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"241212811657805018779243944799768196788","date":"2025-03-26T07:20:20+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"191079158835627442117864397783851090850","date":"2025-03-25T20:46:51+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"337410197657334342616088800510520894234","date":"2025-03-25T19:00:28+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-03-25T17:37:00+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-03-14T18:02:00+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-03-14T18:00:27+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Aerosol and Air Quality Research","date":"2025-03-03T10:09:15+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":false,"email":"","identity":"aerosol-and-air-quality-research","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Aerosol and Air Quality Research","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":false,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"VoR Journals","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"f0d8a13d-e5c3-4704-b8d7-1b47ece9a2dc","owner":[],"postedDate":"April 10th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-10-04T15:53:27+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-04-10 08:26:27","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6145195","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6145195","identity":"rs-6145195","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}