Mapping the corrosion impact of air pollution on the historical peninsula of Istanbul

Abstract

Abstract This paper presents the most comprehensive study conducted so far for evaluating the corrosion levels related to air quality and the seasonal pollutant (NO 2 , SO 2 , and O 3 ) exposure levels over 50 monitoring stations distributed on the historical peninsula of Istanbul. Istanbul has been one of the most important as well as most populated major cities in the world during all the ages. Today, owing to its historical and cultural structures, the historical peninsula of Istanbul has become an attraction point of tourism and is one of the most unique and ancient urban settlement areas in the world. However, the cultural heritage stocks in the peninsula are under the risk of corrosion and critical air pollution level exposure caused by chemical reactions under the multi-pollutant situation of the air pollutants, principally SO 2 , NO 2 , and O 3 , as well as meteorological factors, e.g. humidity and temperature. In the present study, seasonal exposure of NO 2 , SO 2 , and O 3 pollutants were monitored using passive samplers, and corrosion attack values were calculated using dose-response functions. The geostatistical analyst tool of ArcGIS ® 9.1 was then used for generating GIS-based surface pollution and corrosion distribution maps. Subsequently, two hotspots were clearly identified, the tip of the peninsula and the area around the Ataturk Bridge, which fall under serious corrosion risks for copper, cast bronze, and carbon steel materials. However, no significant risk was identified for cultural heritage materials made of limestone in the peninsula.