Dispersion of atmospheric air pollution in summer and winter season
Environ Monit Assess
Dispersion of atmospheric air pollution in summer and winter season
Robert Cichowicz 0 2 3
Grzegorz Wielgosi?ski 0 2 3
Wojciech Fetter 0 2 3
0 R. Cichowicz (
1 Faculty of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lodz University of Technology , Al. Politechniki 6, 90-924 Lodz , Poland
2 W. Fetter Department of Environmental Protection of Pa?tno?w-Adamo?w-Konin Power Complex S.A, Kazimierska 45 , 62-510 Konin , Poland
3 G. Wielgosin?ski Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering, Lodz University of Technology , Wolczanska 175, 90-924 Lodz , Poland
Seasonal variation of air pollution is associated with variety of seasons and specificity of particular months which form the so-called summer and winter season also known as the Bheating^ season. The occurrence of higher values of air pollution in different months of a year is associated with the type of climate, and accordingly with different atmospheric conditions in particular months, changing state of weather on a given day, and anthropogenic activity. The appearance of these conditions results in different levels of air pollution characteristic for a given period. The study uses data collected during a seven-year period (20092015) in the automatic measuring station of immissions located in Eastern Wielkopolska. The analysis concerns the average and maximum values of air pollution (i.e., particulate matter PM10, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone) from the perspective of their occurrence in particular seasons and months or in relation to meteorological actors such as temperature, humidity, and wind speed.
Dispersion; Summer and winter season; Air quality
Introduction
Air quality in both Poland and other countries of
the world depends on the amount of pollutant
emissions, the intensity and type of
physicochemical changes taking place in the atmosphere, and
the large-scale movements of polluted air masses.
Atmospheric air is an element of the natural
environment for which no natural protective barriers
can be isolated, and therefore, the control and
analysis of the impact of particular pollutants not
only on a global but also continental, national, and
l o c a l s c a l e a r e e s s e n t i a l
( C i c h o w i c z a n d
Wielgosi?ski 2015a, b; M?nard et al. 2016; Vallero
2014)
. The problem of air quality was noted by
the World Health Organization (WHO), which
estimated in 2012 that about 7 million deaths were
associated with living in the areas with polluted
air. The most important legislative act defining the
requirements for air protection for all EU member
states is Directive 2008/50/EC of the European
Parliament and Council of 21 May 2008 on air
quality and cleaner air for Europe called Clean Air
for Europe (CAFE). Its aim is to improve air
quality and protect against the harmful effects of
pollution on the environment.
Sources of air pollutants are mainly combustion
processes, various technological processes as well
as vehicle traffic
(Cichowicz and Wielgosi?ski
2015a, b; Gurney et al. 2012; Lelieveld et al.
2015; Nemitz et al. 2002)
. It should be borne in
mind at the same time that low-emission sources
emit pollutants primarily during the heating
season, and that remote systems do it with varying
intensity throughout the entire calendar year
(Cichowicz and Wielgosi?ski 2015a, b; Lin et al.
2011)
.
Since the emitted pollutants are subjected to
both dispersion and advection in the air, the
analysis of such phenomena should take into account
both the wind speed and direction, vertical
movements of air due to thermodynamic equilibrium of
the atmosphere, and local turbulences caused by
altitude contrasts in the land cover. As a result of
the dispersion of pollutants emitted to the air, the
determined concentrations of pollutants are formed
on the Earth?s surface, which are related to the
limit values specified in national and international
law
(Colls 2002)
.
Experimental
The analyses used data from a seven-year period
covering the years 2009?2015, originating from an
automatic atmospheric air monitoring station,
located in the eastern part of Wielkopolska, in the
Konin district, in the municipality of ?lesin in
Piotrkowice (Fig. 1). The Konin district covers an
area of 1578.7 km2 with a population density of
about 82 persons/km2. The surrounding area is
primarily arable land and meadows. The nearest
human settlements are located in the following
distances: 0.6 km?Piotrkowice village (532
inhabitants), 1.5 km?Wygoda village (270 inhabitants),
2.1 km?Nied?wiady Du?e village (163
inhabitants), and 3.1 km?P??wiosek Stary village (263
inhabitants) as well as about 3.5 km?town of
?lesin (about 3200 inhabitants) and 4.2 km?town
of Liche? (about 1500 inhabitants). The natural
resource of the region is primarily lignite, whose
mining has been taking place in the northern part
of the region for over 70 years and is used as fuel
in power plants BP?tn?w I^, BP?tn?w II^, and
BKonin^, which are (...truncated)