Metal Signature of Atmospheric Aerosol from Kochi, the Queen of Arabian Sea, Kerala, India

The present research article highlights the metal (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn and Fe)distribution pattern in the RSPM generated in different hot spot sites located at Kochi, theQueen of Arabian Sea. These sampling sites are categorized under three different zonesas estuarine, riverine, and coastal. Two sampling phases are selected in order to check theconsistency in pollution trend after a two year gap and are described in Phase I and PhaseII, respectively. Metals are noticed to be intensely concentrated in the post monsoonmonths in both phases. Among the metals, Fe is revealed as the prominent metal at theestuarine sites. Estuarine and riverine zone expresses the overall enrichment pattern withslight difference at coastal regime in phase I. In phase II, insignificant metal load withirregular pattern is observed. Source apportionment study reveals that major sources ofmetals are from automobile exhausts and the estuarine zone is entangled with 45.9%.