Statistical modelling of CO and NO2 concentrations in the Athens area. Evaluation of emission abatement policies.

Goal, Scope And Background: This paper describes a statistical modelling approach, suggested as a policy tool in the Athens area for the assessment of the emissions reduction level required to meet the air quality standards for two criteria air pollutants.

Methods: More than ten years of hourly CO and NOx-NO2 concentration data measured by the monitoring network of the Hellenic Ministry for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works were analyzed and the original dataset has been reduced using a data evaluation procedure.

Results And Discussion: Seasonal pollutant concentration trends suggested that the reduction of CO and NOx concentrations observed in the beginning of the '90s is almost entirely attributed to the increase of the catalyst-equipped cars during this period.

Development of an aggregate Air Quality Index for an urban Mediterranean agglomeration: relation to potential health effects.

It is very useful for the authorities and the people to have daily easy understandable information about the levels of air pollution and the proper measures to be taken for the protection of human health. In this paper we develop an aggregate Air Quality Index (AQI) based on the combined effects of five criteria pollutants (CO, SO2, NO2, O3 and PM10) taking into account the European standards. We evaluate it for each monitoring station and for the whole area of Athens, Greece, an area with serious air pollution problems.

On the relation between seasonal synoptic circulation types and spatial air quality characteristics in Athens, Greece.

The impact of weather on air pollution was examined and evaluated for the city of Athens, Greece. We used an objectively defined synoptic classification scheme consisting of six summer and eight winter circulation types. This scheme was established using a combination of both factor and cluster analysis during 1954-1999.