INVESTIGADORES
PALANCAR Gustavo Gerardo
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Relationship between air pollution and radiation levels in Córdoba City
Autor/es:
GUSTAVO G. PALANCAR; BEATRIZ M. TOSELLI
Reunión:
Congreso; School of Environmental Science and Technology (EdeA); 1998
Resumen:
The
discovery of the Antarctic depletion of the ozone layer in 1985, accompanied by
a large increase in surface ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, has raised serious
questions about the continued protection of the earths living system from the
harmful effects of UVB radiation. Some effects include DNA damage, eye
cataracts, skin cancer and immune suppression in animals, as well as lower
growth rates and depressed rates of leaf photosynthesis in plants.
These
changes in UV radiation may open new reaction channels, especially for aldehydes,
and this may change the chemical composition of the troposphere, by affecting
the photodissociation rates of various important atmospheric gases involved in
the photochemical reactions in the lower troposphere. That may also change the
chemical mechanisms that are currently used in the tropospheric chemistry
models.
On the
other hand, some pollutants and other atmospheric parameters such as clouds and
aerosols can affect the radiation levels reaching the surface of the earth by
absorption and scattering.
In this work we
have used data measured by two mobile stations during the campaign going from June
to December 1995 in Córdoba City, Argentina. These data include UV radiation,
total radiation, concentration levels of several atmospheric pollutants (O3,
NOX, PM10, HC, etc) and also various meteorological parameters
(temperature, pressure, relative humidity, wind speed, etc).
A
statistical analysis has been carried out to describe the behavior of the main
atmospheric pollutants in Córdoba City. We have analyzed the winter-summer
variations of the main pollutants in rural and urban environments and we have
also analyzed some days with high and low levels of pollutants to identify the
meteorological conditions which determine them. The relations between radiation,
tropospheric pollutant concentration levels and meteorological conditions have
been analyzed at different monitoring sites.
In this work we have attempted to relate changes in stratospheric ozone
(during the ozone depletion episode) and tropospheric pollutant concentration
levels to changes in total and ultraviolet radiation to improve the understanding
of the factors that control them.