Skip to main content

Differences between weekend and weekday ozone levels over rural and urban sites in Southern Italy

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment volume 156, Article number: 509 (2009) Cite this article

Abstract

Air quality data from a network of 11 monitoring stations in the Apulia region of southern Italy during the summer of 2005 reveal a high frequency of ozone law limit violations. Since ozone is a secondary pollutant, air quality control strategies aimed at reducing ozone concentration are not immediate. Herein, we analyse weekly changes in concentration levels of ozone (O3), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and evaluate how the differences in primary emissions cause changes in the production of ozone. The comparison between weekend and weekday levels of O3 and its precursors are direct evidence for the existence of the “ozone weekend effect.” This effect was observed at all stations with a considerable variation in the overall ozone magnitude, including both traffic stations and non-traffic stations. Data from VOC measurements at traffic stations primarily indicated elevated levels of benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX); all of these substances showed an overall decrease over the weekend. A single station indicated levels of non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) and PM10, both of which did not demonstrate any weekly cycle. Analysis of weekly and diurnal cycles of O3, NOx, CO, NMHC, and PM10 indicates that higher weekend ozone levels result from a reduction in the emission of nitrogen oxides on weekends in VOC-sensitive regimes. This indicates that a reduction in VOC and NOx levels would be more effective than NOx reduction alone. Our results underscore the need for improved and more efficient VOC measurements.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

43,34 €

Price includes VAT (Finland)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  • Altshuler, S. L., Arcado, T. D., & Lawson, D. R. (1995). Weekday vs. weekend ambient ozone concentrations: Discussion and hypotheses with focus on Northern California. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 45, 967–972.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Atkinson-Palombo, C. M., Miller, J. A., & Balling, R. C., Jr. (2006). Quantifying the ozone “weekend effect” at various locations in Phoenix, Arizona. Atmospheric Environment, 40, 7644–7658. doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2006.05.023.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blanchard, C. L., & Fairley, D. (2001). Spatial mapping of VOC and NOx-limitation of ozone formation in central California. Atmospheric Environment, 35, 3861–3873. doi:10.1016/S1352-2310(01)00153-4.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blanchard, C. L., & Tanenbaum, S. J. (2003). Differences between weekday and weekend air pollutant levels in southern California. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 53, 816–828.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blier, W., & Winer, A. M. (1999). Analysis of weekday/weekend differences in ambient air quality and meteorology in the South Coast air basin. California Air Resource Board Final Report (pp. 95–334). Sacramento, CA, June.

  • California Air Resource Board (CARB) (2003). The ozone weekend effect in California. Staff Report.

  • Chinkin, L. R., Coe, D. L., Funk, T. H., Hafner, H. R., Roberts, P. T., Ryan, P. A., et al. (2003). Weekday versus weekend activity patterns for ozone precursor emissions in California’s South Coast Air Basin. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 53, 829–843.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • CORINAIR (2000). from http://www.apat.gov.it/site/it-IT/Servizi per l’Ambiente/Inventario delle Emissioni in Atmosfera (CORINAIR-IPCC).

  • Fujita, E. M., Campbell, D. E., Zielinska, B., Sagebiel, J. C., Bowen, J. L., Goliff, E. S., et al. (2003). Diurnal and weekday variations in the source contributions of ozone precursors in California’s South Coast Air Basin. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 53, 844–863.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heuss, J. M., Kalbaum, D. F., & Wolff, G. T. (2003). Weekday/weekend ozone differences: What can we learn from them? Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 53, 772–788.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jenkin, M. E., & Clemitshaw, K. C. (2000). Ozone and other secondary photochemical pollutants: Chemical processes governing their formation in the planetary boundary layer. Atmospheric Environment, 34, 2499–2527. doi:10.1016/S1352-2310(99)00478-1.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jimenez, P., Parra, R., Gassò, S., & Baldasano, J. M. (2005). Modeling the ozone weekend effect in very complex terrains: A case study in the Northeastern Iberian Peninsula. Atmospheric Environment, 39, 429–444. doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2004.09.065.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lawson, D. R. (2003). Forum: The weekend ozone effect—The weekly ambient emissions control experiment. Environmental Management, 17–25.

  • Marr, L. C., & Harley, R. A. (2002a). Modelling the effect of weekday–weekend differences in motor vehicle emissions on photochemical air pollution in central California. Environmental Science & Technology, 36, 4099–4106. doi:10.1021/es020629x.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marr, L. C., & Harley, R. A. (2002b). Spectral analysis of weekday–weekend differences in ambient ozone, nitrogen oxide, and non-methane hydrocarbon time series in California. Atmospheric Environment, 36, 2327–2335. doi:10.1016/S1352-2310(02)00188-7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pont, V., & Fontan, J. (2000). Local and regional contributions to photochemical atmospheric pollution in southern France. Atmospheric Environment, 34(29–30), 5209–5223. doi:10.1016/S1352-2310(00)00353-8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pont, V., & Fontan, J. (2001). Comparison between weekend and weekday ozone concentration in large cities in France. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 45, 1527–1535.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pryor, S. C., & Steyn, D. G. (1995). Hebdomadal and diurnal cycles in ozone time series from the Lower Fraser Valley, B.C. Atmospheric Environment, 29(9), 1007–1019. doi:10.1016/1352-2310(94)00365-R.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pun, B. K., Seigneur, C., & White, W. (2003). Day-of-week behaviour of atmospheric ozone in three US cities. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 53, 789–801.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Quin, Y., Tonnesen, G. S., & Wang, Z. (2004). Weekend/weekday differences of ozone, NOx, CO, VOCs, PM10 and the light scatter during ozone season in southern California. Atmospheric Environment, 38, 3069–3087. doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2004.01.035.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sillman, S. (1999). The relationship between ozone, NOx and hydrocarbons in urban and polluted rural environments. Atmospheric Environment, 33(12), 1821–1845. doi:10.1016/S1352-2310(98)00345-8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stedman, D. H. (2004). Photochemical ozone formation, simplified. Environmental Chemistry, 1, 65–66. doi:10.1071/EN04032.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Viras, L. G. (2002). Comparison of ozone levels between working days and weekends in Athens, Greece. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 80, 301–314. doi:10.1023/A:1021176421483.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vukovic, F. M., & Mayland, R. (1997). An investigation of local meteorological effects on ozone during the OTAG 1995 episode and the weekday/weekend differences in the North-east Corridor. Final Report on Contract No. 68-D3-0030, Work Assignment No. III-105. Prepared for the US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and standards: Research triangle Park, NC Executive Summary Volume I on Subcontract No’s ACI-0-29086-01 ACI-0-29086-02. Cole Boulevard Golden CO: Prepared for National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

  • Yarwood, G., Stoeckenius, T. E., & Dunker, A. M. (2003). Modelling weekday/weekend ozone differences in the Los Angeles region for 1997. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 53, 864–875.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council, Section of Lecce, Strada prov. Lecce-Monteroni, km 1,2, 73100, Lecce, Italy

    Ilenia Schipa, Annalisa Tanzarella & Cristina Mangia

Authors
  1. Ilenia Schipa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Annalisa Tanzarella
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Cristina Mangia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ilenia Schipa.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Schipa, I., Tanzarella, A. & Mangia, C. Differences between weekend and weekday ozone levels over rural and urban sites in Southern Italy. Environ Monit Assess 156, 509 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-008-0501-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-008-0501-5

Keywords

  • Diurnal cycles
  • NOx reduction
  • Ozone weekend effect
  • Traffic stations
  • Weekend/weekday differences