INDICATIVE MEASUREMENTS OF FORMALDEHYDE CONTENT IN ATMOSPHERIC AIR OF MYKOLAEV

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the possibility of using indicative measurements of formaldehyde (CH2O) content in the atmospheric air of the cities exposed to active vehicular transit flows. Motor transport is a fundamental factor of increased formaldehyde levels in the atmospheric air of such cities. Regional peculiarities affecting the increase of formaldehyde content and dispersion process in the surface layer of the atmosphere are added to the current situation, such as climatic and meteorological conditions, especially in summer, when high temperatures are combined with a lack of permanent winds; and the presence of a large unregulated automobile transit flow through the city. Within the framework of the Directive 2008/50/EU implementation into the national legislation of Ukraine it is necessary to introduce the ecological monitoring of the atmospheric air quality from the expansion of the fixed measurements by means of indicative measurements of air quality indices. The article raises the question of the consistency of the results of indicative and fixed measurements of formaldehyde content in the atmospheric air of cities. The purpose of the work is to study the peculiarities of the application of indicative measurements of formaldehyde content in the atmospheric air in the cities with heavy traffic, on the example of the city of Mykolaiv. The materials of the study are the results of measuring the formaldehyde content in the atmospheric air of the city by 7 stations of indicative measurements in Mykolaiv, as well as the results of determination of formaldehyde content at 4 stationary reference stations of atmospheric air monitoring in the city of Mykolaiv. It has been proved that there is a chronic excess of the maximum permissible concentrations of formaldehyde both during indicative measurements and at the fixed air monitoring stations in the airspace of the city of Mykolaiv. It has been shown that the results of indicative measurements of formaldehyde content in atmospheric air exceed in 1.5-1.6 times the corresponding values at fixed measurements, and the maximum values at fixed measurements exceed in 1.6-1.8 times the maximum values at indicative measurements. The necessity of calibration of indicative measurement stations in accordance with local conditions has been substantiated. The requirement of compulsory supplementing with indicative measurements of ecological monitoring of atmospheric air in the cities with intensive traffic flows has been shown.