Potential sources and measured concentrations of VOCs in Balikesir ambient atmosphere

The assessment of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has become an important field of interest in atmospheric pollution. This study quantifies and characterizes the ambient levels and spatial distribution of VOCs in urban and rural areas of Balikesir city, Turkey. For these assessments, passive sampling of VOCs performed at approximately 50 locations in and around the city of Balikesir. Twenty-five VOCs were regularly monitored and analyzed with the GC-FID system. The sampling periods were carried out for seven-day periods during March and August 2010. In the study, mean Sigma VOC concentrations were found to be as high 67 and 51 mu g m(-3) for the winter and summer seasons, respectively. Median concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m,p-xylene and o-xylene were 2.6, 11, 1.30, 1.80 and 0.73 mu g m(-3), respectively. Although there were some changes between concentrations of VOC groups between the summer and winter campaigns, differences were not dramatic. Winter-to-summer ratios of the target compounds ranged from 0.2 (1,2,4-trimethylbenzene) to 9 (hexane). Most of the target compounds have higher concentrations in winter. Only few VOCs, including n-propylbenzene, 1,2,4- trimethylbenzene, 1-undecene and 1,2,4- trichlorobenzene have higher concentrations in summer. Spatial distribution of VOCs demonstrated that the roads are hot spots for measured VOC concentrations. The drinking water treatment plant, industrial solvent emissions from pesticide and insecticide applications in agriculture, and emissions from traffic were the sources that contribute to total VOC load in the Balikesir atmosphere.Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Council (TUBITAK)Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [108Y166]This study was supported by Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Council (TUBITAK) with project number 108Y166

Is Corlu (Tekirdag, Turkey) Affected By Air Pollution?

Bu çalışmada, Tekirdağ ilinin nüfus artış hızı en değişken olan ilçelerinden Çorlu’nun inorganik ve organik hava kirliliği haritaları çıkarılmıştır. Çalışmalar Ağustos 2015 ve Şubat 2016 aylarında yaz ve kış dönemlerinde 2 periyotta gerçekleştirilmiştir. Kirleticilere ait konsantrasyonlar pasif örnekleme metodu kullanılarak belirlenmiştir. Kirleticilerin mekânsal modellenmesinde ise Ters Ağırlıklı Ortalama (Inverse Distance Weighted-IDW) yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Ayrıca ilçe yarı kentsel, yerleşim, yol, sanayi bölgeleri olarak kategorize edilmiştir. Böylelikle, kirletici konsantrasyonlarının kent içi bölgesel farklılıkları belirlenmiştir. Buna göre; Çorlu ilçesinde yaz aylarında organik kirletici konsantrasyonlarının kirlilik haritalarında daha yüksek seviyelerde olduğu dikkat çekmiştir. SO2’nin her iki dönemde de kümelenmeler şeklinde gözlendiği NO2 ve O3’un ise dağılım gösterdiği gözlenmiştir. O3’un yarı kentsel bölgelerde, NO2’nin ise yol olarak kategorize edilen bölgelerde daha yüksek konsantrasyonlarda olduğu görülmüştür.In this study, inorganic and organic air pollution maps of the districts of Çorlu (Tekirdag), which have the most variable population growth rate, were extracted. The study was carried out in August 2015 and February 2016 for 2 periods in summer and winter periods. Concentrations of pollutants were determined by passive sampling method. In the spatial modeling of pollutants, Inverse Distance Weighted-IDW method was used. Also the district has been categorized as semi-urban, residential, road, industrial zones. Thus, urban regional differences of pollutant concentrations were determined. According to the pollution maps; It was noted that organic pollutant concentrations were higher in Çorlu during the summer months. SO2 is observed as clusters in both periods and NO2 and O3 were highly distributed. It was observed that O3 was at higher concentrations in semi-urban areas and NO2 in regions categorized as roads

The Effect of Air Pollution on Respiratory System Disease Admissions and Health Expenditures

Objectives: Air pollution increases hospital admissions due to respiratory system diseases. This study aims to investi-gate health expenditures due to hospital admissions in Erzincan, Turkey.Methods: We acquired data on daily admissions of patients with respiratory system diseases from 2015 to 2016 in Erzincan from Mengücek Gazi Education and Research Hospital (MGERH). Concurrent air quality monitoring data were obtained from the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, and meteorological data from General Directorate of Meteorology. Risk analyses were performed via the STATA® program, followed analyses of health expenditures based on patient treatment costs obtained from the Social Security Institution.Results: In Erzincan, a total of 78.793 patients (56.5% female, 43.5% male) presented to the emergency service and clinical departments of MGERH with respiratory complaints. The highest frequency diagnosis was upper respiratory system infections and most patients fell into the age groups of 15-34 and 45-64. A correlation was obtained between the amount of particulate matter 10 ?m and smaller, one of the air quality parameters monitored in Erzincan.Conclusion: Increases in air pollution levels similarly increase the number of hospital admissions secondary to respira-tory system diseases by 0.72%. According to Social Security Institution data, average per capita health expenditures related to these admissions were 44.338.98 USD

Characterising Seasonal Variations of Ambient Pm2.5 and Pm10 Mass Concentrations Based on Urban Area Monitoring Data in Balikesir, Turkey

12h International Multidisciplinary Scientific Geoconference (SGEM) -- JUN 17-23, 2012 -- Albena, BULGARIAEpidemiological studies have shown a significant impact of fine particles below 10 mm (PM10) on human health. Due to the increasing interest for the fine particles (PM2.5) the measurement programme of the network has been extended to include PM2.5 measurements into the measurement programme at several countries. In this work, Characterising seasonal variations of mass concentration of fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM2.5-10) during October 2009 to October 2010 has been investigated. A total of 337 samplers were collected during this study period using Anderson Dichotomous sampler. The average mass concentration of PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 and PM10 was found as 31.07 mu g/m(3), 15.52 mu g/m(3) and 46.53 mu g/m(3) respectively. The concentration of PM2.5, and PM10 were higher in heating seasons than in summer time. As expected, the low temperature is associated with an increase in the number of episodic events. This is a result of the extensive use of fuel during winter-time for heating purposes and also due to stagnant air masses formed because of low temperature and low wind speed over the study area.Minist Environm & Water, Bulgarian Acad Sci, Acad Sci Czech Republ, Acad Sci IR Iran, Latvian Acad Sci, Polish Acad Sci, Russian Acad Sci, Serbian Acad Sci & Arts, Slovak Acad Sci, Natl Acad Sci Ukraine, Bulgarian Ind Asso

Comparison and Seasonal Evaluation of the Rural and Urban Ambient Pm2.5 and Pm10 Mass Concentrations Based on Meteorological Parameters

13th International Multidisciplinary Scientific Geoconference, SGEM 2013 -- JUN 16-22, 2013 -- Albena, BULGARIAEpidemiological studies have shown a significant impact of fine particles below 10 w square m (PM10) on human health. Due to the increasing interest for the fine particles (PM2.5) the measurement program of the network has been extended to include PM2.5 measurements into the measurement program at several countries. It has well know that the effect of air pollution on health depends on pollutant concentrations and the type of exposure and city-wide health risk assessment. In this study, PM levels and their sources, fractions, temporal and spatial variations and relation with meteorological factors have been determined in both of urban and rural areas. PM samplers were collected during this study period using Anderson Dichotomous sampler. During October 2009-October 2010 the collected PM-fine, PM-coarse, and PM10 mass concentrations were 31.07, 15,52 and 46.53 mu g/m(3) for city atmosphere and 20.57, 14.34 and 34.92 mu g/m(3) in rural atmosphere, respectively. The concentration of PM2.5, and PM10 were higher in heating seasons than in summer time, in urban areas. Size fraction ratios of PM2.5 and PM2.5-10, were estimated in both stations. In urban area, Seasonal variations in the rate of PM2,5/PM10 which is an expression of the relative contribution to total inhalable particles were analyzed and found that this ratio is higher during the winter season than summer season. But, in rural areas, the rate of PM fractions did not significantly change seasonally. As expected, the low PM concentrations are associated with rural atmospheric conditions. This is a probably result of due to nan-stagnant air masses formed because of low temperature and low wind speed over the rural area

THE EFFECTS OF THE AİR POLLUTANTS ON CARBONATED BUİLDİNG STONE

The pollutant emissions that are thrown into the atmosphere as a result of the fossile fuel usage for either energy production, cause deterioration of the building stones in addition other environmental problems. Especially, SO2 and NOx have negative effects on the historical buildings in all over the world which are made of carbonate stones. These effects can be observed as the deterioration of the carbonate building stones by with the change of their chemical structures. This study presents the result of surveys which analyse the deterioration mechanism of CaCO3 major-constituent building stones by air pollutants. The buildings in urban areas are destroyed by air pollutants and meteorological conditions depending on their material characteristics. The main sign of the mentioned destroy is the gypsum formation that can go from the surface of the stone to inner parts. In the following pores of the stones cyclic crystallizations and melting, micro cracks and a loss of material are formed. These deterioration effects become more serious with the increasing pollution level

Impact of Urbanization on Local Air Quality: Differences in Urban and Rural Areas of Balikesir, Turkey

Ozone (O-3) is a secondary pollutant which is produced photo-chemically by reactions involving NOx and benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and m-, p-xylenes (BTEX) in the presence of sunlight. The present study determined outdoor air quality in both the urban area of Balikesir City and rural area (around Ikizcetepeler Dam) in the same region in the western part of Turkey. The main objectives of this study were to analyze the temporal evolution and qualify the spatial distribution by using geostatistical techniques; to determine the spatial variability of air pollutants using the spatial auto-correlation statistic; and to identify the local spatial patterns of the pollutants in order to highlight the areas of potential risk of O-3, NO2, and BTEX pollution and its possible causes. For this purpose firstly, the data were compiled by using passive sampling in winter and in summer. Concentrations of O-3 ranged from 14.03 to 42.43g/m(3) in winter and from 81.79 to 70.39g/m(3) in summer in urban area. The mean NO2 and BTEX concentrations varied between sites, while mean winter concentrations were higher than the mean in summer. During winter seasons, the motorway, residential areas, urban traffic, and industrial sites showed high BTEX levels compared to the suburban and rural sites. This paper investigates the spatial mapping of temporal trends in air quality for both urban and rural areas for annual, summer and winter means. The global Moran's I result demonstrated that O-3, NO2, and BTEX had significant positive global spatial correlations. In addition, the results of local spatial auto-correlation analysis showed the locations of significant high-high spatial clusters and low-low spatial outliers.TUBITAKTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [108Y166]We would like to expresses our sincere gratitude to TUBITAK for their financial support of this current work (project # 108Y166). We also thank to Tuncay Dogeroglu and Ozlem Ozden for their useful suggestions and data analysis

Spatial-Temporal Variations of Sulphur Dioxide Concentration, Source, and Probability Assessment Using a GIS-Based Geostatistical Approach

Ground-level sulphur dioxide is one of the air pollutants of high concern as a typical indicator of urban air quality. To inform decisions regarding, for instance, the protection of public health from elevated SO2 levels in the city of Balikesir, an understanding of spatial-temporal variance of SO2 patterns is necessary. Therefore, the aim of this study is to locate sample points, characterize distribution patterns, perform the probability map, and map SO2 distributions by means of spatial information sciences. In this work, the data were compiled from 48 sampling sites using passive sampling on 10-17 March 2010 (in winter) and on 13-20 August 2010 (in summer). The estimations of SO2 levels at unsampled locations were carried out with the inverse distance weighted method. Finally, locations exceeding the Turkish Air Quality Standard threshold value were determined in the Balikesir by use of geostatistical algorithms (Indicator kriging). The capability of the methods to predict air quality data in an area with multiple land-use types and pollution sources were then discussed. The results of the passive sampling study show that the winter and summer average concentrations are 32.79 mu g/m(3) and 28.27 mu g/m(3) for SO2, respectively. It is expected that where industrial activity is not excessively important, traffic and domestic heating systems are the main source of SO2 precursors. Moreover, using Indicator Kriging, results show that there are multiple hotspots for SO2 concentrations and they are strongly correlated to the locations of industrial plants, traffic, and domestic heating systems in Balikesir.TUBITAKTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [108Y166]We would like to express our sincere gratitude to TUBITAK for their financial support of this current work (project No. 108Y166). We also give thanks to Tuncay Dogeroglu and Ozlem Ozden for their useful suggestions and data analysis

Spatial and Temporal Variations of Nitrogen Dioxide and Ozone Concentrations Assesment Using A Gis Based Geostatistical Approach in Balikesir, Turkey

12h International Multidisciplinary Scientific Geoconference (SGEM) -- JUN 17-23, 2012 -- Albena, BULGARIAUrban air pollution are sourced manily from traffic, industry, and heating systems. Rapidly increasing population, unplanned urbanization and industrialization are the main contributors to urban air pollution in many countries. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O-3) are the main pollutants that are formed from traffic, combustion related activities and photochemical smog processess. These pollutants have capable of causing adverse effects on human health and environment. Since NO2 is a typically traffic related pollutant emissions are generally highest in urban atmosphere rather than rural areas. Ground-level and tropospheric ozone is one of the most harmful air pollutants causing health problems, premature deaths, reduced agricultural crop yields, changes in ecosystem species composition and damage to physical infrastructure and cultural. In this study, we have used a combination of passive sampling and GIS techniques to characterise the intra-urban scale and rural temporal-spatial distribution of air quality based on NO2 and O-3 concentrations. The aim of this study is of locate sample points, characterize distribution patterns, perform the probability map, and map distributions of NO2 and O-3, by means of spatial information sciences providing useful information for decision-makers. Firstly, the data were compiled from 48 sampling sites by using passive sampling on10-17 March 2010 in winter and on 13-20 August 2010 in summer. Later, estimated pollutants levels at un-sampled locations were carried out with the Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) method. Finally, location exceed the Turkish Air Quality Standard critical threshold value were determined in the Balikesir city area by use of geostatistical algorithms (Indicator kriging). The results of the passive sampling study show that the winter and summer average concentrations are 28.85 mu g/m(3) and 111.26 mu g/m(3) for O3; 22.65 and 13.56 mu g/m(3) for NO2 respectively. It is expected that where industrial activity is not excessively important, traffic and domestic heating system are the main source of NO2 and O-3 precursors. Moreover, results show that there are multiple hotspots for NO2 concentration and they are strongly correlated to the locations of traffic and domestic heating system in the Balikesir city area, using Indicator kriging (IK). Clearly close to roads, the major source of pollutants such as NO2, the concentrations of pollutants will be highest. In addition to emissions, meteorology plays a strong role in both the general and in the local meteorological environments. O-3 concentrations are higher in summer than in winter season, given the same traffic volume, due to the local meteorological parameters such as solar radiation, wind circulation. It was demonstrated that geostatistical tools are quite appropriate techniques for air quality management in a polluted city area like Balikesir.Minist Environm & Water, Bulgarian Acad Sci, Acad Sci Czech Republ, Acad Sci IR Iran, Latvian Acad Sci, Polish Acad Sci, Russian Acad Sci, Serbian Acad Sci & Arts, Slovak Acad Sci, Natl Acad Sci Ukraine, Bulgarian Ind AssocTUBITAKTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [# 108Y166]We would like to expresses our sincere gratitude to TUBITAK for their financial support of this current work (project # 108Y166). We also thank to Tuncay Dogeroglu and Ozlem Ozden for their useful suggestions and data analysis

Environmental awareness level of secondary school students: A case study in Balikesir (Turkiye)

4th World Conference on Learning, Teaching and Educational Leadership (WCLTA) -- OCT 27-29, 2013 -- Univ Barcelona, Barcelona, SPAINWOS: 000345351800197In this study, secondary school students' awareness of environmental issues and problems and the level of their active participation in environmental activities have been identified, and the effects of some factors as family school and media on their environmental awareness and active participation have been investigated. The study was carried out in Balikesir city centre by conducting a survey on senior students consisting of 6 classes from three secondary schools which have different demographic and socio-economic levels. The results of the study showed a high level of environmental awareness among participant students. However, it is understood that environmental disclosures made in schools are insufficient and the participation level of students to environmental activities is low. Students rather gain experiences in the field of environment from mass media (i.e. audio, printed and visual media). It is revealed that female students have a higher level of environmental awareness and active participation level. In addition, when family income and family education level increases, environmental awareness and active participation level of students also increases. (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd