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Evaluation of air quality in a megacity using statistics tools

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Abstract

Local physical characteristics (e.g., meteorology and topography) associate to particle concentrations are important to evaluate air quality in a region. Meteorology and topography affect air pollutant dispersions. This study used statistics tools (PCA, HCA, Kruskal–Wallis, Mann–Whitney’s test and others) to a better understanding of the relationship between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels and seasons, meteorological conditions and air basins. To our knowledge, it is one of the few studies performed in Latin America involving all parameters together. PM2.5 samples were collected in six sampling sites with different emission sources (industrial, vehicular, soil dust) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The PM2.5 daily concentrations ranged from 1 to 61 µg m−3, with averages higher than the annual limit (15 µg m−3) for some of the sites. The results of the statistics evaluation showed that PM2.5 concentrations were not influenced by seasonality. Furthermore, air basins defined previously were not confirmed, because some sites presented similar emission sources. Therefore, new redefinitions of air basins need to be done, once they are important to air quality management.

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Fig. 1

Source: Adapted from FEEMA (2006)

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Environment Institute of Rio de Janeiro State (INEA) for providing PM2.5 concentration and meteorological data; and to the Foundation Agencies Support Research in Rio de Janeiro State (FAPERJ), National Council of Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) for financial support for the research. A. S. L thanks to Programa Prociência, UERJ.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), Marquês de São Vicente Street, 225, Gávea, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 22451-900, Brazil

    Luciana Maria Baptista Ventura & Adriana Gioda

  2. Air Quality Management, Environmental Institute of Rio de Janeiro State (INEA), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Luciana Maria Baptista Ventura, Fellipe de Oliveira Pinto & Laiza Molezon Soares

  3. Chemistry Institute, Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Aderval Severino Luna

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  1. Luciana Maria Baptista Ventura
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  2. Fellipe de Oliveira Pinto
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  3. Laiza Molezon Soares
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  4. Aderval Severino Luna
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  5. Adriana Gioda
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adriana Gioda.

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Responsible Editor: S. T. Castelli.

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Ventura, L.M.B., de Oliveira Pinto, F., Soares, L.M. et al. Evaluation of air quality in a megacity using statistics tools. Meteorol Atmos Phys 130, 361–370 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-017-0517-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-017-0517-x

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