Daily variability of air pollution in locations of different population density

Lodz University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environmental Engineering, al. Politechniki 6, 90-924, Lodz, Poland

^* Corresponding author: robert.cichowicz@p.lodz.pl

Abstract

The air quality levels vary during a day, especially in inhabited areas. Therefore, it seems reasonable to observe and analyze the occurrence of daily maximum and minimum level of air pollution. In this article, data obtained from automatic air quality monitoring stations located in 5 large, 5 small and medium cities and 5 villages in Poland was analyzed in 2012−2016. Those locations vary, inter alia, depending on number of inhabitants and population density, and for this reason also due to the presence of air contaminants. As an indicator of daily variability air pollution it was determined the ratio of maximum to minimum concentrations of selected air pollutants (NO2 and NOx, and O3, SO2, CO, PM10 and PM2.5, and benzene) in urban and agricultural areas. In winter, the daily changes were bigger in cities than in villages. While in summer, the level of daily variability was similar, irrespective of size of the settlement unit. The biggest daily changes concerned nitrogen oxides, the lowest − sulfur dioxide and dusts.