Seasonal course of anthropogenic air pollution and surface ozone concentrations in the cities of Belarus
Abstract
Based on the data of the National Environmental Monitoring System, the levels of anthropogenic air pollution and surface ozone in the regional cities of Belarus and the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve are analyzed. The features of the diurnal course of pollution concentrations are discussed. Monthly average values of concentrations in different years for each observation site were calculated and their long-term averages for each observation site and average monthly pollution levels for cities with several observation sites were determined. Changes in air pollution levels over the years and differences in pollution levels in individual cities are analyzed. The observed differences is due not only to different sources of air pollution and their intensity, but also to differences in meteorological conditions. General conclusions can be drawn regarding the seasonal course of pollution concentrations: almost all of them are maximum in February, then fall towards the summer and increase in the autumn period until the following February. Only with volatile organic compounds, no clear recurring seasonal dependence was found at all observation points. The general decrease in pollution concentrations in summer is explained by a decrease in the vertical stability of the atmosphere, intensification of its vertical mixing, and dilution of pollution concentrations in the surface air layer. The revealed decrease in concentrations of anthropogenic pollution in cities in recent years also requires a more detailed analysis to determine its causes. Two possible reasons are a reduction in emissions from industrial enterprises and, after all, a changing climate, leading to an intensification of urban air purification. According to the results of the study, the cleanest air is in the Berezinsky Reserve. However, in Brest, Mogilev and Grodno, the concentrations of ground-level ozone in the spring-summer period are higher than in the Reserve, despite significantly higher concentrations of anthropogenic pollution in cities compared to the Reserve. The explanation should be sought in the difference in weather conditions and the transboundary transport of pollution and ozone. The concentrations of carbon monoxide vary slightly in individual cities, the highest – in Gomel, the lowest – in Minsk. As for volatile organic compounds, the highest are in Minsk, the lowest are in Gomel. And in terms of nitrogen oxide pollution, both of these cities are leaders among the regional centers of the Republic.
References
- Sillman S. Tropospheric Ozone and Photochemical Smog. Treatise on Geochemistry; 2003;9:407–431.
- Air quality and pollution city ranking (AQI) – IQAir [Internet, cited 2022 June 14]. Available from: https://www.iqair.com › world-air-quality-ranking.
- Smog v Polshe [Smog in Poland] [Internet, cited 2022 June 14]. Available from: https://tsn.ua/ru/blogi/themes/world/cmog-vpolshe-1491591.html. Russian.
- Precursors and Indirect Emissions. In: Eggleston HS, et al, editors. IPCC, 2006. Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. Volume 1. General Guidance and Reporting. Hayama (Japan): Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES); 2008.16 p.
- Liudchik A, Pakatashkin V, Umreika S, Girgzdiene R. Role of Ozone Deposition in Occurrence of the Spring Maximum. Atmosphere-Ocean. 2013;53(1):42–49.
- Zvyagintsev AM, Kuznetsova IN, Shalygina IY., Brusova NE, Arkhangelskaya AA, Lapchenko VA, Tereb NV, Lezina EA. Causes and factors of positive surface ozone anomalies in the Moscow region and on the southeastern coast of the Crimea. Atmospheric and Oceanic Optics. 2016; 29(6):551–560. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1024856016060178.
- Bozhkova VV, Burak RN, Kozeruk BB, Lyudchik AM, Melnik EA. Antropogennoye zagryazneniye vozdukha i prizemnyy ozon v gorodakh Belarusi [Anthropogenic air pollution and ground-level ozone in the cities of Belarus]. Prirodnyye resursy. 2018;1:92–101. Russian.
- Bozhkova VV, Liudchik AM, Umreika SD. Influence of meteorological conditions on urban air pollution. Acta Geographica Silesiana. 2020;14(4):5–21.
- Brönnimann ST, Neu U. Weekend-weekday differences of near-surface ozone concentrations in Switzerland for different meteorological conditions. Atmospheric Environment. 1997;31(8):1127–1135.
- Liudchik AM, Melnik EA, Pavlenko PN. Antropogennoe zagryaznenie vozduha oksidom ugleroda i oksidami azota v gorodah Belarusi [Anthropogenic air pollution with carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides in the cities of Belarus]. In: Saharovskie chtenia 2022 goda: ekologicheskie problemy XXI veka. Chast 2. Minsk: IVTs Minfina; 2022. p. 155–158. Russian.
- Liudchik AM, Melnik EA, Pavlenko PN, Sychevskiy AO. Antropogennoe zagryaznenie vozduha benzolom, toluolom i kcilolom v gorodah Belarusi [Anthropogenic air pollution with benzene, toluene and xylene in the cities of Belarus]. In: Saharovskie chtenia 2022 goda: ekologicheskie problemy XXI veka. Chast 2. Minsk: IVTs Minfina; 2022. p. 145–148. Russian.
- Bolotsko LM, Liudchik AM, Pokatashkin VI, Pavlenko PN. Fluctuacii polya koncentracii prizemnogo ozona, obuslovlennye menyaschemisya meteouslovyami i stepeniu zagryaznenia vozduha [Fluctuations in the ground-level ozone concentration field due to changing weather conditions and the degree of air pollution]. Ekologicheski vestnik. 2016;3:45–52. Russian.
- Liudchik AM, Pokatashkin VI, Bolotsko LM, Burak RN, Pavlenko PN, Umreika SD. Statisticheskaya ocenka antropogennovo vozdeistvia na prizemny ozon [Statistical assessment of anthropogenic impact on ground-level ozone]. Prirodnye resursy. 2015;1:95–105. Russian.
- Bozhkova VV, Bolotsko LM, Lyudchik AM, Pavlenko PN, Umreika SD. Klimaticheskaya norma prizemnogo ozona v chistoi atmosphere Belarusi [Climatic norm of ground-level ozone in the clean atmosphere of Belarus]. Prirodnye resursy. 2019;2:98–107. Russian.
- Bozhkova VV, Liudchik AM, Melnik EA. Fluctuacii polia prizemnogo ozona v Belarusi, obuslovlennye meteorologicheskimi usloviami i antropogennym zagriaznennem vozduha [Fluctuations in the ground-level ozone field in Belarus due to meteorological conditions and anthropogenic air pollution]. Prirodnye resursy. 2020;1:80–91. Russian.