Air Quality Evaluation in Urban and Rural Areas

Deteriorating Air Quality (AQ) is one of the most severe health problems for people living in cities. The increasing use of road transport, the expansion of industry and domestic heating contribute significantly to the worsening of this problem. The AQ indicates the level of pollution in the air we breathe, which is caused by various chemical substances present in the air, which, in turn, change the natural composition of the atmosphere. This study aimed to: evaluate the concentration of atmospheric pollutants and particles—carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ultrafine particles, PM2.5, PM10 and PMTotals—and the meteorological variables—temperature and relative humidity—in two distinct areas, one urban and one rural; analyze the ambient AQ in these areas in order to investigate whether there are significant differences between them. Assessments were performed twice a day (morning and afternoon) at each site for 1 week (7 days). They were carried out in periods of thirty minutes, with sampling each minute. We found that the concentrations of pollutants vary depending on the area and that PM10 exceeded the legally established exposure limit value. Since pollutants act globally and not just in the place where they originate and can cause harmful effects on health and climate, creation of low-emission zones for road traffic, reinforcement of green infrastructure consolidation of the cycling network, among others can be strategies that gradually reduce the values reached.