TRAFFIC AND THE CITY AIR QUALITY

Abstract

The air quality is very important for the quality of living in modern cities. It is known that the traffic is the single largest pollutant in Europe. Therefore, proper treatment of this component of pollution is very important for precise estimation of pollution levels. In this paper, specific approach for measurement of roadside CO2 concentration, as the tracer gas, is analysed. TESTO 454 gas analyzer has been used for CO2 concentration measurements. The wind speed and direction have been measured on several locations in the City of Niš, considering that pollution distribution is globally determined by wind characteristics, and for wind measurements cup anemometer was used. For wind data collecting, specific measuring system was developed, a well as the software needed. Traffic intensity has been measured on six major crossroads in the City. The data obtained were used to estimate the traffic generated CO2 emission on the major streets in Niš. Given methodology shows possibilities for further implementation of other pollutant components measurement, which allows tracking of the main pollution pathways.