Assessment of ambient air quality, meteorological parameters, and emission source characteristics of Çanakkale, Turkey

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of air pollution and meteorological parameters temporally (i.e., annual, seasonal, daily, and diurnal) and spatially in three towns of Çanakkale city, Turkey, with different emission source characteristics (road and marine traffic, industrial, and domestic heating). The levels of particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and ozone and meteorological parameters were measured at air quality monitoring stations located at Lapseki, Çan, and Central town between 2013 and 2017. In general, the air pollutants in Lapseki and Central town were below the national air quality limit values. In Central town, particulate matter levels increased over the years (p < 0.001), probably due to the increased load of traffic. In Lapseki, levels of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides increased over the years (p < 0.001) due to the increased number of ferryboat crossings from Lapseki harbor, which also indirectly increased the density of road traffic. Even though air pollutants' levels decreased over the years (p < 0.01) in Çan, particulate matter and sulfur dioxide concentrations were still above the national ambient air quality standards. Therefore, mitigation measures should be focused mainly on Çan. All air pollutants measured at three towns showed seasonal and diurnal variations (p < 0.001), except for PM2.5 levels that occurred in Lapseki (p > 0.05). Furthermore, source apportionments of air quality were explained by correlation analysis and polar plots indicated the contributions of combustion, traffic (road & marine), and accumulation of air pollutants under certain meteorological conditions.