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The discoloration of the Taj Mahal due to particulate carbon and dust deposition.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Bergin, MH; Tripathi, SN; Jai Devi, J; Gupta, T; Mckenzie, M; Rana, KS; Shafer, MM; Villalobos, AM; Schauer, JJ
Published in: Environmental science & technology
January 2015

The white marble domes of the Taj Mahal are iconic images of India that attract millions of visitors every year. Over the past several decades the outer marble surfaces of the Taj Mahal have begun to discolor with time and must be painstakingly cleaned every several years. Although it has been generally believed that the discoloration is in some way linked with poor air quality in the Agra region, the specific components of air pollution responsible have yet to be identified. With this in mind, ambient particulate matter (PM) samples were collected over a one-year period and found to contain relatively high concentrations of light absorbing particles that could potentially discolor the Taj Mahal marble surfaces, that include black carbon (BC), light absorbing organic carbon (brown carbon, BrC), and dust. Analyses of particles deposited to marble surrogate surfaces at the Taj Mahal indicate that a large fraction of the outer Taj Mahal surfaces are covered with particles that contain both carbonaceous components and dust. We have developed a novel approach that estimates the impact of these deposited particles on the visible light surface reflectance, which is in turn used to estimate the perceived color by the human eye. Results indicate that deposited light absorbing dust and carbonaceous particles (both BC and BrC from the combustion of fossil fuels and biomass) are responsible for the surface discoloration of the Taj Mahal. Overall, the results suggest that the deposition of light absorbing particulate matter in regions of high aerosol loading are not only influencing cultural heritage but also the aesthetics of both natural and urban surfaces.

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Published In

Environmental science & technology

DOI

EISSN

1520-5851

ISSN

0013-936X

Publication Date

January 2015

Volume

49

Issue

2

Start / End Page

808 / 812

Related Subject Headings

  • Surface Properties
  • Soot
  • Particulate Matter
  • India
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Dust
  • Color
  • Carbon
  • Air Pollution
 

Citation

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Bergin, M. H., Tripathi, S. N., Jai Devi, J., Gupta, T., Mckenzie, M., Rana, K. S., … Schauer, J. J. (2015). The discoloration of the Taj Mahal due to particulate carbon and dust deposition. Environmental Science & Technology, 49(2), 808–812. https://doi.org/10.1021/es504005q
Bergin, M. H., S. N. Tripathi, J. Jai Devi, T. Gupta, M. Mckenzie, K. S. Rana, M. M. Shafer, Ana M. Villalobos, and J. J. Schauer. “The discoloration of the Taj Mahal due to particulate carbon and dust deposition.Environmental Science & Technology 49, no. 2 (January 2015): 808–12. https://doi.org/10.1021/es504005q.
Bergin MH, Tripathi SN, Jai Devi J, Gupta T, Mckenzie M, Rana KS, et al. The discoloration of the Taj Mahal due to particulate carbon and dust deposition. Environmental science & technology. 2015 Jan;49(2):808–12.
Bergin, M. H., et al. “The discoloration of the Taj Mahal due to particulate carbon and dust deposition.Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 49, no. 2, Jan. 2015, pp. 808–12. Epmc, doi:10.1021/es504005q.
Bergin MH, Tripathi SN, Jai Devi J, Gupta T, Mckenzie M, Rana KS, Shafer MM, Villalobos AM, Schauer JJ. The discoloration of the Taj Mahal due to particulate carbon and dust deposition. Environmental science & technology. 2015 Jan;49(2):808–812.
Journal cover image

Published In

Environmental science & technology

DOI

EISSN

1520-5851

ISSN

0013-936X

Publication Date

January 2015

Volume

49

Issue

2

Start / End Page

808 / 812

Related Subject Headings

  • Surface Properties
  • Soot
  • Particulate Matter
  • India
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Dust
  • Color
  • Carbon
  • Air Pollution