SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL VARIATION OF AIR POLLUTION: THE CASE OF THE MARMARA REGION

Abstract

Nowadays, air pollutants are still posing a risk in some areas although air pollutant parameters are decreasing. The fact that air pollutants are still posing a risk in some areas is a consequence of spatial differences. For this reason, the spatial distribution and temporal change of air pollutant parameters (SO2, PM10, NO and NO2) in the Marmara Region between March 2013-December 2015 were aimed to demonstrate in this study. For this purpose, SO2, PM10, NO and NO2 data measured by Marmara Clean Air Center Directorate by means of approximately 39 stations in 11 provinces in the Marmara Region were used. The Ordinary Kriging method was used to create spatial distribution maps in the study. The bivariate correlation analysis was applied by considering the independent variable of time to indicate how air pollutants change in terms of years and months. It has been found that all pollutants being studied are at higher levels in winter although NO2 is not very obvious. Both in SO2 and PM10, it was determined that the concentration levels in the southwest (Canakkale and Edirne) of the study area were usually at higher levels. The highest NO concentration levels were observed in Istanbul and Bursa, where the population and traffic were the highest. In NO2, it was determined that the values were almost at the same level within the study area.