Municipal solid waste and dung cake burning: discoloring the Taj Mahal and human health impacts in Agra

Open municipal solid waste (MSW) burning contributes significantly more to the discoloration of the Taj Mahal's white marble surface compared to dung cake burning, depositing approximately 150 mg/m²/year of PM2.5 versus just 12 mg/m²/year from dung cakes. This finding challenges previous assumptions that dung cake burning was the primary culprit and highlights MSW burning as a major source of particulate matter (PM) soiling. The study used spatially detailed emission estimates and air quality modeling to quantify these contributions, revealing that combined emissions from both sources lead to an estimated 713 premature mortalities annually in Agra, disproportionately affecting socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Effective MSW management could mitigate the Taj Mahal's discoloration, improve public health, and yield broader aesthetic benefits.

Lal, R. M., Nagpure, A. S., Luo, L., Tripathi, S. N., Ramaswami, A., Bergin, M. H., & Russell, A. G. (2016). Municipal solid waste and dung cake burning: discoloring the Taj Mahal and human health impacts in Agra. Environmental Research Letters, 11(10), 104009. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/10/104009