A Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA) associated with gaseous pollutants in the ambient environment at Coimbatore City's High Traffic Road

Abstract

Adverse gaseous environmental pollutants are more prevalent due to the exponential rise of motorized road transportation, facilitated by the development of medical centers, IT sectors, and expanding urbanization. Therefore, to calculate the Air Quality Index, it is necessary to analyze and quantify the concentration of pollutants, including CO, NOX, SOX, and PM10, in the ambient air at the intersections of traffic zones along National Highway 544 (Avinashi Road), which runs through the city of Coimbatore, Southern part of India (11.0168°N, 76.9558°E). Additionally, it is essential to predict the dispersion of these pollutants using Quantum GIS. Between May and October of 2023, a Respirable dust sampler is used to gather ambient air samples at 15 locations based on zones with heavy traffic signals. Air quality is determined by comparing quantitative data with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQs). The dispersion rate in terms of concentration of CO, NOX, and SOX in the sampling locations of National Highway 544 revealed that At the Sampling Location (SL5), the mean NOX concentration in May was higher (85 µg/m³) than in other sampling months. May 2023 observed a high mean SOX concentration value at SL7 (54 µg/m³), and NH 544's SL7 (2.14 mg/m3) had a significantly high mean CO concentration because of increased temperature. Comparing SL5, SL7, and SL12 to other sampling locations, these three spots rank lower in the Very Poor category mainly because of improper roadway alignment, traffic congestion, violations of traffic laws, poor vehicle maintenance, and end-of-life cars. The Hazard Quotient (HQ) for CO pollutants was less than 1, whereas the HQ for NOX and SOX was more significant than 1 for all exposed groups. In humans, low levels can result in hospitalization for respiratory infections and acute and obstructive lung diseases.