Assessment of air quality in urban environments vulnerable to climate change effects

Abstract

The atmosphere of urban localities is polluted by a number of pollutants emitted from industrial activities, car traffic and the activities of individual households. This study presents an assessment of the air pollution level in two cities (Galati and Tulcea), both of them being situated in eastern Romania. The correlation between air pollution and pollution sources and also between the causes that lead to high levels of air pollution in the studied cities were analyzed. Three air quality monitoring points were selected in the two cities, with the following pollutants: total suspended dust, PM10 dust, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide. The pollution in the monitoring points was mainly influenced by the emissions from road traffic, the burning of methane gas for the production of heating agent, the industrial and agricultural activities performed in the monitoring area. Based on the result, it can be concluded that in the smaller city, Tulcea, the air pollution level was lower than in the Galat municipality, mainly due to the lower intensity of road traffic and polluting activities, but also the geographical positioning, close to the Danube Delta, a large area with green space, which presents a smaller pollution contribution. In areas characterized by lower population densities, specifically in small cities, there is a correlation between reduced population density and lower levels of atmospheric pollution.