UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST
FACULTY OF PHYSICS

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2024-11-23 18:28
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Conference: Bucharest University Faculty of Physics 2022 Meeting


Section: Atmosphere and Earth Science; Environment Protection


Title:
Analysis of air pollution episodes during a four-year monitoring period in Ploiesti, Romania


Authors:
Bianca Mihalache (1), Marilena Colt (1,2), Sabina Stefan (1), Gabriela Iorga (1,3)


*
Affiliation:
(1) University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, (2) “I. L. Caragiale” National College Ploiesti, (3) University of Bucharest, Dept. of Physical Chemistry


E-mail
mhl.bianca10@gmail.com


Keywords:
pollution episodes, meteorological parameters, particulate matter, gaseous species


Abstract:
The Ploiesti city is one of the polluted cities in Romania, situated north of Bucharest, at about 60 km. Some of the most important Romanian oil refineries operate here. The city also represents an important transportation hub, linking Bucharest and the southern Romania with the northeastern (Moldavia) and western parts of the country (Transylvania). A professional meteorological station, belonging to “I. L. Caragiale” National College, was used to study the influence of weather conditions (reflected in meteorological parameters temperature, relative humidity, pressure, wind speed and direction) on the air pollution of Ploiesti during a four-year period (2018-2021). This study is focused on major air pollutants, particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5), and also gaseous species (NO2, CO, SO2, O3). The data series, that includes hourly and daily values of each pollutant mass concentrations, were extracted form National Air Quality Monitoring Network in Romania. A synthesis of the pollution episodes has been made for the investigated period, using the method proposed by Iorga et al. (2015). For each year, we identified both local and regional pollution episodes, but also episodes strongly influenced by the long-range transport of dust PM2.5 pollution. Each pollution episode was extensively characterized.


References:

Iorga G., Balaceanu C., Stefan S., Annual air pollution level of major primary pollutants in Greater Area of Bucharest, 2015, Atmos. Poll. Res. 6. 10.5094/APR.2015.091.

Acknowledgement:
The research leading to these results has received funding from the NO Grants 2014-2021, under contract no. 31/2020, EEA-RO-NO-2019-0423 project. Data regarding ground-based air pollutants were extracted from the public available Romanian National Air Quality Database, www.calitateaer.ro, last accessed in December 2021. The authors thank the NOAA Air Resources Laboratory for HYSPLIT model https://www.ready.noaa.gov and the Barcelona dust forecast center for BSC-DREAM8b and NMBM/BSC-Dust models https://ess.bsc.es/bsc-dust-daily-forecast.