Abstract
Tropospheric ozone is an obligatorily-regulated pollutant, to ensure health protection and better air quality. Most countries have established maximum permissible limits (MPL) equal to 0.06 or 0.070 ppmv, but these could be insufficient considering the strictest MPL of the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Such concentrations may still cause health damage to some groups of the population in urban areas. Additionally, the mean value is the principal statistical parameter for monitoring air pollution. This factor may be hiding critical ozone concentrations for public health. This work examines the mean and maximum ozone based on a multi-temporal analysis, to explore the use of a maximum average value as an air quality standard. The mean ozone had a remarkably stationary contrast; while, the maximum ozone emphasized a semi-permanent state of high pollution over the year. Diurnal variation highlights the differences of frequency between the mean and maximum ozone above any MPL, which is accentuated when compared with the WHO guidelines. Under the WHO-MPL, the mean ozone underestimates the highest concentrations; while the maximum ozone represents the extremely high concentrations observed over the year. Instead, the maximum average ozone becomes moderate; this preserves the proper, but conservative high concentrations, following similar temporal patterns as the mean ozone. This parameter is proposed to be adapted as an alternative statistical criterion to prevent negative effects on public health due to high and frequent ozone concentrations in subsequent years.
Highlights
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Air pollution is the cause of 7 million premature deaths every year [1]
Ozone does not remain for more than 8 conconsecutive hours; the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that exposure for periods of 5 to 7 hours secutive hours; the WHO warns that exposure for periods of 5 to 7 h represents represents a risk to the population’s health [12,13]. These results show evidence for a risk to the population’s health [12,13]. These results show evidence for claiming the claiming the strictest maximum permissible limits (MPL), to establish the real context of the air pollution from ozone, strictest MPLs, to establish the real context of the air pollution from ozone, highlighting highlighting the needalternative to consider alternative statistical in theevaluation air qualityofevaluation the need to consider statistical criteria in thecriteria air quality ozone or of ozone or other pollutants
This study indicates that it may be necessary to consider the maximum average ozone as a complementary parameter, to decrease human health risks in urban areas
Summary
Air pollution is the cause of 7 million premature deaths every year [1]. 0.49 million of these deaths are attributable to respiratory complications by ozone [2]. Ozone is one of the main constituents of photochemical smog and a major human health concern among air pollutants [1]. Tropospheric ozone is formed through UV–photochemical atmospheric reactions involving oxygen, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) [3,4,5,6]. Natural sources emit ozone precursors; incomplete automobile published maps and institutional affil-
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
