Soil dust: A major contributor to the total suspended particulate matter in Bombay

Estimates of source contribution are important for setting more realistic air quality standards for total suspended particles (TSP). Soil dust contributes a major fraction of the atmospheric particulate load in India during the dry months. Chemical element balance (CEB) analysis shows that nearly 50% to 60% of the TSP in Bombay during winter months are of crustal origin. Wind-raised dust from parched earth surface and traffic dust from badly maintained roads are the probable causes of the observed higher contribution of soil dust.