8/13/2019 Impact of Air Pollution on TAJ MAHAL
1/3
Impact of Air Pollution
Air Pollution can damage the environment including vegetation,
crops and forests. Much
work has been done to study the impact of air pollution on the
environment includinghuman health, livestock, corrosion of
materials, building, monuments etc.. Some cases of
impacts that have been suspected of being linked with air
pollution are described in this
chapter.
Case - I
We are all aware of intriguing national debate on the "Effect
ofPollution on the Taj at Agra". The Taj Mahal, one of the finest
gardentombs in the world, stands on the bank of the river amuna and
it wasbuilt b! the Mughal Emeror, #hah$ahan to enshrine the
mortalremains of his Emress, Mumtaj Mahal. The construction of the
tombbegan in %&'% A.(. and it was comleted in %&)' A(.
*n the !ear, %+'-) when the ovt. of *ndia decided to erect
refiner!at Mathura, arehensions were made with regard to
ossiblesadverse effects as a result of gaseous ollution due to
emission on Tajand other monument in and around Agra. Prior to %+/,
no roerstud! was made to evaluate the imact of the environment on
Taj.0eside this, between %+)/ and %+/ and also later on
Archaeological#urve! of *ndia had made some studies on the building
material, usedin Taj Mahal. This included 1
1. Study of Marble and sand stone and examination of weathered
red sandstone on the lining of the interior of the dome
!. "nvironmental parameters, temperature variation, moisture
attack, rainfall
pattern, impact of meteoric waters and humidity gradients
2actors of deterioration, thermal damage, saltcr!stallisation
and
Table ).% 3ational Ambient Air 4ualit! #tandards
Pollutant Time Weighted
Average
Standards Unit
Industrial Area Residential, Rural
and other Areas
Sensitive
area
8/13/2019 Impact of Air Pollution on TAJ MAHAL
2/3
Sulphur dioxide (SO! Annual Average# $% &% 1' (g)m*
!+ ours Average## 1!% $% *% (g)m*
"itrogen dioxide ("O! Annual Average# $% &% 1' (g)m*
!+ ours Average## 1!% $% *% (g)m*
Suspended Particulate #atter (SP#! Annual Average# *&% 1+%
-% (g)m*
!+ ours Average## '%% !%% 1%% (g)m*
Respira$le Suspended Particulate #atter
RSP#!
Annual Average# 1!% &% '% (g)m*
!+ ours Average## 1'% 1%% -' (g)m*
%ead (P$! Annual Average# 1 %.-' %.' (g)m*
!+ ours Average## 1.' 1 %.-' (g)m*
&ar$on monoxide (&O! $ ours Average## ' ! 1 mg)m*
1 our Average 1% + ! mg)m*
5 Annual Arithmetic mean of minimum %6) measurements in a !ear
twice a week /)hourl! at uniform interval55 /) hourl!78 hourl!
values should be met +89 of the time in a !ear. :owever, /9 ofthe
time, it ma! e;ceed but not on two consecutive da!sSource :
