Urban Air Quality

Aims
To explain:
Importance of monitoring and managing air quality
Problems with monitoring air quality
Parameters that should be included in monitoring of urban air
Locations to monitor urban air quality
Actions to tackle and improve local air quality
Importance of monitoring and managing air quality
There are various range of air pollutants in the outdoors, which are known to or
suspected of causing adverse effects to the human health and also to the environment.
Since the 1950s research has been undertaken to find out the effects of outdoor
pollutants on health, such as studies by APHEA (air pollution on health: European
Approach). Their studied was based on a database from ten different European
countries with a population of over 25 million in 15 different cities and their data
consisted of daily measurements of SO2, suspended air particles, NO2 and ozone (O3).
They concluded that there was a correlation between deaths and the amount of both
NO2 and O3. Where a 50g/m3 increase in NO2 and O3 was associated with 1.3%
increase in the number of daily deaths due to NO2 and 2.9% increase in the number of
daily deaths due to O3.
Air pollution is not limited to just having adverse effects on human health but also on
various other things such as:

Vegetation As the level of pollutant exposure to vegetation increase the

effects of it become more severe such as biochemical alterations,
physiological response, visible symptoms, and finally death. The major
pollutants that are toxic to plants are ozone, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide,
fluorides, and peroxyacetyl nitrate. And this will also have an economic
affect, which has been estimated to be between $1 - $5 billion in the United
States

This figure shows how increases pollutants effect vegetation in terms of

degree of injury.

Materials fundamental effect of pollutants on metals is corrosion. Which

causes changes in shape of the material due to loss from corrosion and also
changes in the materials properties.
Atmosphere - this can be noticed in very industrialized countries smog
covering the sky such as china, where you have a lot of power plants and
burning of fossil fuels
Parameters that should be included in monitoring of urban air
Sulphur
Nitrogen
Fine
Ozone
Carbon
Dioxide
Dioxide
Particles
monoxide

Effects
on
Human
Health

Narrowing
of airways
and the
feeling of
tightening
in chest

Respirator
y illnesses
and
increase in
the
likelihood
of lung
infection

Linked to
asthma
and
chronic
bronchitis
and long
term
exposure
can be
more fatal

Damage
and
irritation
to lungs

Cause
headache,
dizziness,
nausea and at
high levels
death by
depriving the
blood from
oxygen

Benzene

1,3 Butadiene

Carcinogeni
c substance
that can
cause
cancer of
blood
system

Also a
carcinogenic
which can
cause cancer
of the lymph
and also
blood system

This table shows the effects of various pollutants on human health

Problems with monitoring air quality
Reasons to why it is difficult to properly monitor air quality:

Wind the direction at which the pollutants travel is determined by the wind
direction, in particular air pollutant concentrations which are most sensitive to
it. But it is more complex than just this, such as getting wind direction shear,
which is a result of change in directions of the wind. And you also have
different wind speeds at different altitudes that also needs to be taken into
consideration. Wind speed has an effect to dilute pollutants continuously and
also affects dispersion rate
Turbulence Which is irregular movement of the wind. In which you very
rapid erratic movements that do not flow smoothly. This mixes polluted air
with relatively unpolluted air, which causes the polluted air to be at lower
concentrations
Extreme weather - Frequency or severity of extreme weather events can cause
an increase in the chance of flooding, high winds, leading to the displacement
of any Continuous automated monitoring probes, which can lead to
compromised results

Temperature Usually warmer temperatures increase the concentration of

pollutants.

This figure shows the movement of pollutants.

Locations to monitor urban air quality

The area for monitoring the air pollution is based on, what information it wants to
gather such as the type of pollutant, method used to analyse the air pollutants, and
what data will be used for.
Examples of places of monitoring air quality

In a Urban area residential ,commercial area cites, parks which are away
from trees, big streets, and open areas of a educational purpose, sports, or
recreation facilities

In a Suburban area this includes where there is large population, crops that
are sensitive to pollutants, and ecosystems.

In a Rural area points of sampling area near vegetation, natural ecosystems,

forests, or crops. Which are away from trees, buildings, and does not need to
be near habituated places such as factories.

In traffic stations which mainly located at traffic sites where you have
emissions coming from nearby traffics in roads, motorway, and highways

In Industrial station emissions mainly coming from industrial sources which

include power generations, incinerators, and waste treatment plants. Which
should be downwind to the nearest residential area

Background station This is placed where it is not influenced by nearby

pollution sites. This is so it can take an integrated contribution from all sources

Actions to tackle and improve local air quality

The best way to minimise or reduce pollution and improve air quality is by taking
green initiatives and focusing on sustainability. Such as by looking more into
renewable energy forms.
For example This table showing green initiatives:

References

Websites

http://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/air-pollution/effects

Book

Fundamentals of air pollution. Author vallero. Published by Elsevior. 2008

Book

Improving air quality in urban environments guidance for construction industry. By

Vina Kukadia and David Hall