Tracking of NO2 and SO2 trace gases emission from Thermal Power Plants in Tamil Nadu using Sentinel 5P Tropomi Satellite with observations from CPCB CAAQM station

Abstract

In India, where coal-fed Thermal Power Plants (TPPs) have been recognized as the country’s single largest source of air pollution, exposure to such air pollution is the biggest threat to the country’s environmental health. Rapid economic growth and rising electricity consumption have led to a sharp rise in NO2 and SO2 emissions from the power sector in India. This paper investigates the emission sources of NO2 and SO2 gases using Sentinel 5P TROPOMI satellite data for the Tamil Nadu region from 2019 to 2022. The monthly mean variation of TROPOMI data is analyzed over the Vallur and North Chennai TPP locations along with the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB’s) Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) data at Manali. The Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform is utilized to track and analyze trace gases.