A methodological approach to identify communities at risk: Trajectory dispersion models to trace air pollutants during colour festival

In this study, we observe the health effects experienced by the people living in that respective study area by analyzing the hospital admission data. A limited study on the association between air pollutants and the number of hospital admissions is available. The proposed research is an extended version of a previously published article, performed in the year 2019 during the color festival - "Holi”, the colors used are widespread throughout the festival. Fine particles were monitored and their ion concentrations were analyzed by ion chromatograph. The significant anions (sulphate, nitrate, and chloride) and cations (sodium, potassium, and magnesium) were obtained in fine particles which were higher than the permissible limits. The collected data shows a 0.7% of the increase in hospital admissions after Holi. Dispersion modeling and trajectory analysis have been introduced to understand the dispersion of air pollutants during pre-holi, holi and post-holi. Thus, it is evident that the Holi festival potentially contributes to air pollution, which leads to serious health hazards.