World's first-of-its-kind Air Pollution Analysis Facility opens for Delhi-NCR

Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences inaugurated the world's first-of-its-kind 'Air Pollution Analysis' facility, at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), for Delhi NCR. Known as the 'Integrated Atmospheric Chemistry and Aerosol Toxicity Analysis Laboratory' (AATAL), it is also equipped to identify real-time sources of air pollution.

Describing it as the first integrated facility of its kind in the world, the Minister said that Delhi-NCR was chosen due to the serious public concern about air pollution. He said that this facility will take air-quality assessment beyond simply reporting pollution levels, identifying the composition of pollutants, their sources, their relative contribution, and their potential impact on health, as well as providing real-time information and advance forecasts to help take timely action.

AATAL will help scientists distinguish between various sources of air pollution, including vehicle emissions, industrial activity, biomass and crop-residue burning, construction and road dust, and pollutants transported from surrounding areas. By estimating the relative contributions of these sources, the facility will help authorities understand which activities are driving poor air quality at a particular time and where interventions may be most effective.

The laboratory is equipped with advanced instruments to analyse the chemical composition of atmospheric gases and aerosols, including fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), metals, toxic elements, and other components.