Contribution of an environmental monitoring system to evaluate the potential effect of urban air pollution

Abstract

The growth of the world’s population has been followed by the increase of residents living in urban areas, which very often results in additional pressures concerning space, ecosystems, infrastructures, facilities and the way of life. The impact of pollutants, emitted into the atmosphere, on materials is enormous and could be irreversible. The effects of the air pollution in façades and on the structural systems lead to unexpected costs for the buildings maintenance and may be avoided if pollution monitoring systems exists.This work presents a methodology to evaluate, on a regular basis, the potential impact of air pollution on historical buildings. It uses a monitoring system to collect samples of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), particulate matter concentration levels and weather parameters. It is possible to act, in time, for the preservation and protection of this historical heritage by joining all of these data. This methodology could complement the studies of the environmental impact assessments on the historical buildings from the outdoor air pollution sources and contributes to the preservation and protection of the historical buildings. This work is being applied in the Portuguese midsized city of Vila Real, where the urban pollution assessment and their effects in urban historical buildings was considered the main goal.