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Assessment of Ambient air quality status before and after Shifting Cultivation in an Indo-Burma hotspot region

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Author Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Environmental Science, Mizoram University, Tanhril, Aizawl-796004, Mizoram, INDIA

Int. Res. J. Environment Sci., Volume 3, Issue (11), Pages 1-5, November,22 (2014)

Abstract

This study assessed the ambient air quality status after the period of biomass burning through shifting cultivation (i.e. summer) and in other seasons when there was no shifting cultivation. The present study performed the assessment of air quality with respect to suspended particulate matter (SPM), respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM), nitrogen dioxide (NO) and sulphur dioxide (SO) at two sites namely Ramrikawn (peri-urban area) and Tanhril (rural area) of an Indo-Burma hotspot region. The average concentration of SPM and RSPM were found to be higher in the peri-urban area than rural area. Apart from this NO and SO levels at both sites remain under prescribed limits of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) of India. It has been observed that the concentrations of the particulate pollutants are high in summer in comparison to the winter and rainy seasons. The average air quality index (AQI) value of peri-urban area was recorded higher than rural area. The deviations in seasonal air quality particularly in context of SPM and RSPM may be attributed to the impact of biomass burning through shifting cultivation.

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