Abstract
As a result of conducted air quality policy, including recent legal regulations (the local anti-smog resolution), the number of individual solid fuel heating devices in Cracow (Poland) gradually decreased. Reports on air quality in the city indicate that the concentration of pollutants in Cracow’s air shows a downward trend. However, a similar tendency in terms of improving air quality is also observed in the entire voivodeship, where, as a result of analogous although less radical measures, the number of individual solid fuel heating devices is also decreasing. The paper discusses the impact of legal regulations in Cracow on the improvement of air quality in the context of changes taking place in nearby cities. Trends in changes in PM10 and BaP (PM10) concentrations are analyzed. The rate of decline of the analyzed pollutants concentrations is estimated with the use of nonparametric linear regression. Analysis showed that the rate of decline in the average annual concentrations of PM10 and BaP (PM10) in Cracow is always higher than for the analyzed cities of the Malopolskie Voivodeship. The difference is more pronounced with regard to the months of the heating season. The rate of changes for the average annual BaP (PM10) concentrations in Cracow, compared to other analyzed cities of the Malopolskie Voivodeship, is more intensive than in the case of PM10 concentrations (1.5 times stronger with regard to the months of the heating season). Since the concentration of BaP (PM10) is a better indicator of the effects of liquidation of high-emission furnaces than the concentration of PM10, it can be concluded that the impact of actions related to the improvement of air quality in Cracow in the context of changes taking place in selected cities of the Malopolskie Voivodeship is more visible.
Highlights
Air pollution is currently perceived as one of the biggest environmental concerns, next to climate change
PM10, it can be concluded that the impact of actions related to the improvement of air quality in Cracow in the context of changes taking place in selected cities of the Malopolskie Voivodeship is more visible
Concentrations data, measured in 2011–2020 at the urban background measurement stations located in Cracow and selected cities of the Malopolskie Voivodeship
Summary
Air pollution is currently perceived as one of the biggest environmental concerns, next to climate change. The latest World Health Organization (WHO) data on ambient air pollution show a serious problem of air quality faced all over the world [1]. Almost all of the global population (99%) breathe air that exceeds WHO guideline limits, containing high levels of pollutants [2]. Urbanized areas are places that suffer in particular from poor air quality. This fact confirms the European Environment Agency’s Report on “Air quality in Europe—2020” [3]. Concentrations of ambient particulate matter (PM) (which is currently considered to be the best indicator for health effects of ambient air pollution) in the analyzed year continued to exceed the European
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