Washington: A team of researchers from India and the US has found that the browning of the Taj Mahal's iconic marble dome and soaring minarets is due to dust and airborne carbon particles.

“Our team was able to show that the pollutants discolouring the Taj Mahal are particulate matter: carbon from burning biomass and refuse, fossil fuels, and dust - possibly from agriculture and road traffic," said Michael Bergin, professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the US.