Charakterisierung der zeitlichen Fluktuationen atmosphärischer Umweltparameter von Minuten bis Monaten unter Einsatz der low-cost-Sensorik "AirTrack" an den Stationen Limassol, Zypern, und Oberpfaffenhofen, Deutschland

Abstract

The increasingly deteriorating air quality currently poses a significant health risk. As a result, it will become even more important in the future to collect a wide range of data on air pollutants in order to track the evolution of air quality. The use of low-cost sensors in air quality monitoring is currently increasing, as they provide an affordable alternative to expensive reference stations. The Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the German Aerospace Center is currently building so-called AirTrack systems at various locations, which use low-cost technology and have a high temporal resolution in the range of a few seconds. In this work, the AirTrack measurements at the study sites of Limassol, Cyprus, and Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, are analyzed. The focus is on the investigation of temporal fluctuations of the air pollutants PM2.5 and NO2. The average PM2.5 concentration over the study period (11/23 - 09/24) in Limassol is 9.82 ug/m3, while the NO2 concentration value is 23.6 ug/m3. At the Oberpfaffenhofen site, the average NO2 value over the study period (04/23 - 09/24/24) is 11.9 ug/m3. All values exceed the recommended limit values of the WHO, with the high levels in Limassol being of particular concern. The analyses reveal a clear half-day and day-time pattern in the measurements, which is caused by both anthropogenic (especially traffic) and natural (transport of sea salt aerosols, radiation-induced degradation processes) effects. The identified seasonal pattern of PM2.5 and NO2 at both sites tends to show higher concentrations during the winter months. This can be influenced by effects such as increased heating and traffic activity, a lower extent of the planetary boundary layer and precipitation patterns. In Limassol, the influence of Saharan dust is also evident, with dust being increasingly transported to eastern Mediterranean by eastward-moving cyclones, particularly in the winter months. PM2.5 in Limassol acted as a tracer for detecting atmospheric wave activity. The Wavelet analysis was able to identify classic periods of planetary waves, ranging from a few days to a few weeks. The high-resolution measurements also showed the activity of gravity waves.