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Behaviour and variability of local and regional oxidant levels (OX = O3 + NO2) measured in a polluted area in central-southern of Iberian Peninsula

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Abstract

The purpose of this work is to contribute to the understanding of the photochemical air pollution in central-southern of the Iberian Peninsula, analysing the behaviour and variability of oxidant levels (OX = O3 + NO2), measured in a polluted area with the highest concentration of heavy industry in central Spain. A detailed air pollution database was observed from two monitoring stations. The data period used was 2008 and 2009, around 210,000 data, selected for its pollution and meteorological statistics, which are very representative of the region. Data were collected every 15 min, however hourly values were used to analyse the seasonal and daily ozone, NO, NO2 and OX cycles. The variation of OX concentrations with NO x is investigated, for the first time, in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. The concentration of OX was calculated using the sum of a NO x -independent ‘regional’ contribution (i.e. the O3 background), and a linearly NO x -dependent ‘local’ contribution. Monthly dependence of regional and local OX concentration was observed to determine when the maximum values may be expected. The variation of OX concentrations with levels of NO x was also measured, in order to pinpoint the atmospheric sources of OX in the polluted areas. The ratios [NO2]/[OX] and [NO2]/[NO x ] vs. [NO x ] were analysed to find the fraction of OX in the form of NO2, and the possible source of the local NO x -dependent contribution, respectively. The progressive increase of the ratio [NO2]/[OX] with [NO x ] observed shows a greater proportion of OX in the form of NO2 as the level of NO x increases. The higher measured values in the ratio [NO2]/[NO x ] should not be attributed to NO x emissions by vehicles; they could be explained by industrial emission, termolecular reactions or formaldehyde and HONO directly emitted by vehicles exhausts. We also estimate the rate of NO2 photolysis, J NO2 = 0.18–0.64 min−1, a key atmospheric reaction that influence O3 production and then the regional air quality. The first surface plot study of annual variation of the daily mean oxidant levels, obtained for this polluted area may be used to improve the atmospheric photochemical dynamic in this region of the Iberian Peninsula where there are undeniable air quality problems.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (project PEII09-0262-2753) and the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (project CGL2007-62479/CLI) for their financial support of this study. We thanks to the Environment Department of the Castilla La Mancha Regional Government for providing data which was performed this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad de Castilla la Mancha, Avenida Camilo José Cela s/n, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain

    Alberto Notario, Yolanda Díaz-de-Mera & Alfonso Aranda

  2. Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus de Albacete, Edificio Polivalente, s/n, 02071, Albacete, Spain

    Iván Bravo

  3. Atmospheric Sounding Station-El Arenosillo, Atmospheric Research and Instrumentation Branch, National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA), Mazagón-Huelva, Spain

    José Antonio Adame

  4. Departamento de Química Física Facultad de Ciencias del Medio Ambiente, Universidad de Castilla La Mancha, Avenida Carlos III, s/n, 45071, Toledo, Spain

    Ana Rodríguez & Diana Rodríguez

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  1. Alberto Notario
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  2. Iván Bravo
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  3. José Antonio Adame
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  6. Ana Rodríguez
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  7. Diana Rodríguez
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Correspondence to Yolanda Díaz-de-Mera.

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Notario, A., Bravo, I., Adame, J.A. et al. Behaviour and variability of local and regional oxidant levels (OX = O3 + NO2) measured in a polluted area in central-southern of Iberian Peninsula. Environ Sci Pollut Res 20, 188–200 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-0974-1

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