Abstract
In Tunisia, urban air pollution is becoming a bigger problem. This study used a combined strategy of biomonitoring with lichens and satellite mapping with Sentinel-5 satellite data processed in Google Earth Engine (GEE) to assess the air quality over metropolitan Tunis. Lichen diversity was surveyed across the green spaces of the Faculty of Science of Tunisia sites, revealing 15 species with a predominance of pollution-tolerant genera. The Index of Atmospheric Purity (IAP) calculated from the lichen data indicated poor air quality. Spatial patterns of pollutants sulfur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and aerosol index across Greater Tunis were analyzed from Sentinel-5 datasets on the GEE platform. The higher values of these indices in the research area indicate that it may be impacted by industrial activity and highlight the considerable role that vehicle traffic plays in air pollution. The results of the IAP, IBL, and the combined ground-based biomonitoring and satellite mapping techniques confirm poor air quality and an environment affected by atmospheric pollutants which will enable proactive air quality management strategies to be put in place in Tunisia’s rapidly expanding cities.
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The authors confirm their contribution to the paper: Ayda Khadhri and Mohamed Mendili conceived and designed the experiments, performed the experiments, analyzed and interpreted the data, and wrote and edited the article. Zahra Sellami and Rania Somai performed the experiments and analyzed and interpreted the data. All authors reviewed the results and approved the final version of the manuscript.
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MENDILI, M., SELLAMI, Z., SOMAI, R. et al. Assessing Tunisia’s urban air quality using combined lichens and Sentinel-5 satellite integration. Environ Monit Assess 196, 545 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-024-12705-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-024-12705-z