A novel approach for investigating the trends in nitrogen dioxide levels in UK cities

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• 作者：Margaret Carol Bell ; Fabio Galatioto ; Ayan Chakravartty ; Anil Namdeo
• 关键词：Hazard theory ; Nitrogen dioxide ; Air pollution events ; Meteorological conditions
• 刊名：Environmental Pollution
• 出版年：2013
• 出版时间：December, 2013
• 年：2013
• 卷：183
• 期：Complete
• 页码：184-194
• 全文大小：2830 K

文摘

This paper investigates the variations in levels of nitrogen dioxide, NO₂, monitored over the decade 2001-2010, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne (UK) city centre, to develop fundamental understanding of the periods of persistence of levels of NO₂ greater than 40?¦Ìg?m^?3 (¡«21?ppb) defined as air pollution event duration. The appropriateness of the hazard theory as a mechanism to understand failure rate of the duration of poor air pollution events was explored. The results revealed two types of air quality events. The longer duration air quality events (between 24 and 68?h) were associated with the ¡°extreme-weather¡± conditions and were responsible for a small number of extremely long air pollution duration events. These created bias in the results and therefore the analysis was restricted specifically to the ¡®normal-weather¡¯ related air pollution event durations, conforming to a geometric distribution. This novel approach shows promise as a mechanism to monitor and investigate year on year trends observed in air quality data.