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Air quality is used worldwide to confirm the current status of air pollution level and associated health risks to the public. Several air pollutants reach very high concentrations in many regions across India. In this study, air pollutants were measured in an urban city of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Southern India, during 2013 to 2014 based on season and location, and the influence of meteorological factors. Air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, CO, and O3) across eight locations including industrial, residential, traffic, and commercial areas were assessed. The results showed that PM10, PM2.5, and CO were the most serious pollutants and their average concentrations ranged from 65.5 to 98.6 μg/m3, 27.6 to 56.9 μg/m3, and 1.58 to 8.21 mg/m3, respectively, among various locations. Significantly higher concentration of air pollutants was recorded in industrial areas followed by traffic and commercial areas. Comparatively higher mean concentration of O3 (2.22 ± 0.75 μg/m3) and CO (7.73 ± 1.86 mg/m3) was recorded during the summer season, whereas the concentration of PM10 (80.3 ± 24.4 μg/m3), PM2.5 (45.1 ± 17.7 μg/m3), SO2 (7.86 ± 1.55 μg/m3), and NO2 (13 ± 1.81 μg/m3) was higher in southwest monsoon. Ozone (O3) and CO positively correlated with temperature and negatively correlated with relative humidity. The level of PM10, PM2.5, and CO concentrations exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) guidelines. The present study’s results emphasize the need of effective air pollution control in Coimbatore. Precautionary measures to be taken to avoid exposure of air pollutants to the public and minimize pollutants. This study further suggests an investigation on the adverse impact on human health and environment using appropriate risk analysis techniques.

Fluorides are emitted in both gaseous and particle forms in the industrial sector. However, studies usually only report total fluoride content. Therefore, the study aimed to assess the particulate, gaseous fluoride and correlate it with the respirable dust particles in Single Super Phosphate (SSP), Granular Single Super Phosphate (GSSP), and administration divisions of the industry. Respirable dust particles, particulate fluoride, and hydrogen fluoride in the work environment were collected on a filter cassette containing an MCE filter paper (0.8 micron 37-mm) and Na2CO3 impregnated backup pad, respectively, using a personal sampler. The fluoride samples were analyzed using Ion Selective Electrode (ISE) and expressed as milligrams per meter cube (mg.m-3). The respirable dust, particulate, and gaseous fluoride content were found to have statistically significant differences (p<0.001) between the divisions (SSP, GSSP, and administration) in the static monitoring, whereas, in the case of personal monitoring, no significant differences were observed. Average airborne respirable, particulate, and gaseous fluoride levels in static monitoring were 1.37, 1.03, 0.20 mg.m-3, 0.018, 0.008, 0.001 mg.m-3, and 0.808, 0.403, 0.026 ppm in SSP, GSSP and administration respectively, whereas in personal monitoring the average respirable, particulate and gaseous fluoride concentrations were 1.18, 0.85, 0.30 mg.m-3, 0.0013, 0.007, 0.002 mg.m-3 and 0.356, 0.258, 0.011 ppm in SSP, GSSP and administration respectively. The present study observed that the levels of fluoride decreased with an increase in distance from SSP, followed by GSSP and administration. It indicates that the fluoride exposure was inversely proportional to the distance of the source. This study outcome will help to design a policy and intervention to mitigate fluoride exposure among workers.