Abstract
The principal aim of this paper is to assess the influence of meteorological conditions on the variability of sulfur dioxide and PM10 particulate matter concentration of pollutants during winter with consideration of an excess of admissible standards. The basis for the analysis were hourly concentrations of PM10 and sulfur dioxide as well as the basic meteorological elements automatically recorded at five stations located in the Tricity agglomeration, and operating within the weather station network belonging to the Agency of Regional Air Quality Monitoring in the Gdansk Metropolitan Area (ARMAAG). The analysis covers the calendar winters (December–February) in the years 2004/2005 through 2009/2010. The variability of the concentrations of both pollutants under certain weather conditions, i.e. air temperature and relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, as well as wind speed and direction, were evaluated by means of cluster analysis using k-means belonging to a group of non-hierarchical cluster analysis method. The composite effect of meteorological conditions on the variability of sulfur dioxide and PM10 concentrations in isolated clusters were determined by multiple linear regression, using a stepwise procedure, at the significance level α = 0.05 and α = 0.01. The effect of individual weather elements on the pattern of concentration levels was determined using partial regression coefficients. Clusters grouping the highest concentrations of pollutants were characterised, in most cases, by the lowest air temperature and a lower wind speed, and often a higher pressure, and sometimes slightly lower relative air humidity, i.e. the conditions of anticyclonic weather. Weather conditions had a statistically significant effect on the concentrations of both pollutants in all clusters; however, air temperature and wind speed had the crucial role. Thermal conditions were the decisive factor in the winter season 2005/2006 with the most frequent, overnormative daily particulate matter concentration, yet the inversion layers both lower and upper, occurring almost every day in January 2006 also had a significant influence.
Highlights
Air quality during the cold seasons of the year is primarily determined by the concentration of suspended particulate matter and sulfur dioxide, which both result from increased emission from heating systems
Higher air pollution level by sulfur dioxide was found in Gdynia-Pogórze, whereas the concentration of PM10 in Gdynia-Śródmieście was about 60 % higher than in the other districts
During the calendar winter (December–February), the worst average aerosanitary conditions of air occur in the northern part of Tricity which, in terms of administration, belongs to Gdynia, which the highest pollution by sulfur dioxide occurs in Pogórze district and the highest pollution by particulate matter PM10 in Śródmieście district, neighbouring the port area
Summary
Air quality during the cold seasons of the year is primarily determined by the concentration of suspended particulate matter and sulfur dioxide, which both result from increased emission from heating systems. Households are heated using coal of low quality, with high sulfur and ash content and of low heating parameters in worn out furnaces which are often unsuitable for the purpose, and this fact is a significant problem in the so-called low emission. Over 70 % share of coal in individual particles and relatively low percentage of particles containing sulfate and chlorine at the beginning of the smog episode clearly suggest that the main source of high concentration of particulate matter are processes related to coal burning, both
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