Open AccessA Study of PM 10, PM 2.5 Concentrations in the Atmospheric Air in Kraków, Poland
Author(s) -
Maciej CIEPIELA,
Wiktoria Sobczyk
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
inżynieria mineralna
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.215
H-Index - 9
ISSN - 1640-4920
DOI - 10.29227/im-2021-01-17
Subject(s) - particulates , environmental science , air quality index , air pollution , wind speed , meteorology , correlation coefficient , linear correlation , pollution , atmospheric sciences , environmental engineering , geography , statistics , mathematics , chemistry , organic chemistry , geology , ecology , biology
The air in Kraków is one of the most polluted in Europe. Polish standards for notification and alert levels for PM10 particulate matterare one of the the highest in Europe and exceed the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) for safe daily concentrations by several times. The article presents the results of airborne dust measurements in three districts of Kraków. The study hasshown that the concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 particulate matter exceeded the annual average permissible levels. Empirical measurements of PM2.5 show significantly higher air pollution values than the data notified by stationary monitoring stations installed intwo locations. The high value of Pearson linear correlation coefficient confirms that weather conditions have a significant impact on airquality in Kraków. Wind speed in the autumn and winter seasons has by far the greatest influence on air quality in al. Krasińskiego,in the Ruczaj and Kurdwanów districts. A strong negative correlation was displayed. Manual measurements should be used to verifydata obtained from air monitoring stations. It is to be expected that, in Kraków, air purity will improve due to the implementation ofan anti-smog resolution and subsidies for the replacement of obsolete heating systems with more environmentally friendly solutions.