Abstract
The study of mineral components in repairable particles is important in improving the quality of air. Airborne
particulate (ABP) were collected from various industrial, commercial, residential, combined industrial cum
residential and commercial cum residential localities of Faisalabad city in the months of June and July and
subjected to quantitative phase analysis by X-ray powder diffraction method using flushing technique. Various
minerals were detected in the samples. Results revealed that Illite was the dominant constituent in ABP sample
and hence the major contributor to air borne pollution with wt percentage in the range 70.4%-80.4wt%. The other
air polluting phases found were albite, calcite quartz, clinochlore, gypsum and talc bearing weight percentages in
the range 8.4% to 15.8%, 5.1% to 11.7%, 1.1% to 3.5%, 4.4% to 21.5%, 0.1%-1.3 and 1.76%-5.3% respectively.
Fine particles of quartz not utilized in microphysical processes in the atmosphere, stay in air for long periods of
time. These pollutants affect human health and may become cause of bronchitis, asthma etc. since the fine
particles go deep into lungs and find no way to escape from there.
