Urban Air Pollution Evaluations of Nitrogen Dioxide NO2: The Case of the City of Kénitra–Morocco

Air pollution is a growing problem worldwide. Morocco is no exception. In this study, we focused on a preliminary assessment of air quality in the city of Kénitra, including the measurement of nitrogen dioxide NO2. Frequent exposure to fog, the growing number of vehicles and increasing urbanization expose cities to the risk of air pollution. To characterize this pollution, eight locations are selected and subjected to an assessment of background pollution levels. The main pollutant monitored is the gaseous pollutant nitrogen dioxide NO2. Against this background, the aim of this study is to develop an air quality monitoring system for the city of Kénitra. To achieve this goal, we conducted four daily sampling campaigns in January, May, August and September 2018 at several locations (urban, suburban, suburban and background). NO2 measurements were taken every thirty minutes in the field using an automated analyzer. Pollutant concentrations were measured using various physico-chemical analysis techniques. The results obtained show that the pollutant content studied NO2 exceeds the Moroccan standard of 200 μg/m3 on all sites except Bir-Rami Est. In addition, the Bir-Rami site is free of air pollution. The study also aims to identify the main sources of nitrogen dioxide (different industrial processes do not emit the same pollutants and the polluting effect of vehicles is itself dependent on several parameters). The climatic and/or meteorological conditions are not the same. In view of these results, further research seems necessary in this city in order to determine effective public measures to reduce emissions from mobile and/or stationary sources.