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<p>Mineral dust aerosols constitute dominant fraction of atmospheric particles, so it is crucial to undertake an in-depth analysis to unravel their various physical attribute. This study investigates the mineralogical composition of the fine particulate matter (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) using Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analytical techniques for megacity Delhi and Himalayan region of Nainital from January to December 2023. PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations were critically high in Delhi (109 ± 70.9&#xa0;µg m⁻³), while levels in Nainital (34 ± 12&#xa0;µg m⁻³) remained near the threshold at National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). ATR-FTIR analysis revealed the presence of albite, calcite, dolomite, gypsum, hematite, magnetite and quartz minerals in PM<sub>2.5</sub> samples indicating geogenic, anthropogenic and biogenic sources. Further validation was done by using XRD to understand the various mineral phases present in the particulate matter (PM) which included calcite, quartz, montmorillonite, illite, hematite, magnetite, kaolinite, cerussite and other. Particular emphasis is placed on detecting dominating minerals crystalline phases identified in PM<sub>2.5</sub> including calcite, quartz, illite, montmorillonite, kaolinite, hematite and magnetite. Crystallite size was computed which ranged from ~ 11&#xa0;nm to 55&#xa0;nm. Also, the XRD analysis enabled the calculation of crystallinity percentage ranging from for Delhi (20.03–60.80%) and Nainital (23.17–53.05%) indicating heterogeneous formation pathways. Trajectory cluster analysis revealed strong seasonal variability in air-mass transport at both sites, with Delhi largely influenced by Indo-Gangetic Plain and transboundary pathways. Nainital exhibited a mix of transboundary, regional, and local influences, with Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) transport dominating air masses. The comprehensive approach for mineral identification and assessment of the physical properties under the present study can help better understand the behaviour of particulate matter for these locations.</p>

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Mineralogical profiling of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) over the Megacity Delhi and the Central Himalayan Region Nainital, India

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月6日

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  • Anjali Rana,
  • Preeti Tiwari,
  • Priyanka Srivastava,
  • Sakshi Gupta,
  • Manish Naja,
  • Surinder P. Singh,
  • Sudhir Kumar Sharma,
  • Sachchidanand Singh

摘要

Mineral dust aerosols constitute dominant fraction of atmospheric particles, so it is crucial to undertake an in-depth analysis to unravel their various physical attribute. This study investigates the mineralogical composition of the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) using Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analytical techniques for megacity Delhi and Himalayan region of Nainital from January to December 2023. PM2.5 concentrations were critically high in Delhi (109 ± 70.9 µg m⁻³), while levels in Nainital (34 ± 12 µg m⁻³) remained near the threshold at National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). ATR-FTIR analysis revealed the presence of albite, calcite, dolomite, gypsum, hematite, magnetite and quartz minerals in PM2.5 samples indicating geogenic, anthropogenic and biogenic sources. Further validation was done by using XRD to understand the various mineral phases present in the particulate matter (PM) which included calcite, quartz, montmorillonite, illite, hematite, magnetite, kaolinite, cerussite and other. Particular emphasis is placed on detecting dominating minerals crystalline phases identified in PM2.5 including calcite, quartz, illite, montmorillonite, kaolinite, hematite and magnetite. Crystallite size was computed which ranged from ~ 11 nm to 55 nm. Also, the XRD analysis enabled the calculation of crystallinity percentage ranging from for Delhi (20.03–60.80%) and Nainital (23.17–53.05%) indicating heterogeneous formation pathways. Trajectory cluster analysis revealed strong seasonal variability in air-mass transport at both sites, with Delhi largely influenced by Indo-Gangetic Plain and transboundary pathways. Nainital exhibited a mix of transboundary, regional, and local influences, with Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) transport dominating air masses. The comprehensive approach for mineral identification and assessment of the physical properties under the present study can help better understand the behaviour of particulate matter for these locations.