Spatio-temporal analysis of air pollution and meteorological influences in western Uttar Pradesh using Geospatial techniques: insights for policy and management
Ram Pravesh Kumar, Aafreen Jahan, Ranjit Singh, Pradeep Kumar, Rajesh K. Bag, R. Bhatla, Balram Ambade, U.C. Dumka
Abstract
Recently, air pollution has emerged as a critical environmental challenge, posing significant risks to human health and ecosystems. This study presents a comprehensive spatiotemporal assessment of six major air pollutants (PM₂.₅, NO₂, SO₂, O₃, CO, NH₃) across seven cities of Western Uttar Pradesh (WUP), India (2019–2022), using Geospatial techniques. The findings reveal significant seasonal and spatial variability driven by anthropogenic emissions and meteorological factors. PM₂.₅ levels peaked during winter, ranging from 140 to 181 µg m−3 in Ghaziabad and NOIDA, exceeding the CPCB annual standard by over 9–13 times. NO₂ concentrations also peaked in winter, surpassing 80 µg m−3 in industrial areas, while SO₂ exhibited summer maxima exceeding 25 µg m−3 in Bulandshahr and Agra. O₃ levels were highest during summer and post-monsoon, increasing from 38.03 µg m−3 to 51.20 µg m−3 in Muzaffarnagar over the study period. CO concentrations remained high in winter, reaching 1.54 mg m−3 in NOIDA, and NH₃ showed post-monsoon peaks exceeding 35 µg m−3 in agricultural regions. Correlation analysis showed strong associations between PM₂.₅ and NO₂ (r = 0.80), and NH₃ (r = 0.67), indicating dominant emission sources from vehicular, industrial, and agricultural activities. Random forest regression identified temperature Relative Importance Scores (RIS 0.258) and relative humidity (RIS = 0.242) as key predictors for PM₂.₅, with the model explaining 69.1% of its variability (R2 = 0.691). Air Quality Index (AQI) analysis revealed that Ghaziabad and Baghpat experienced 60.64% and 40.86% of days in the ‘Severe’ category, respectively, highlighting critical air quality deterioration. These findings emphasize the urgent need for season-specific and location-sensitive air pollution mitigation strategies that integrate emission control and meteorological influences to improve public health and environmental sustainability in WUP, aligning with Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 11.