3D spatial dispersion of particulate matter and gaseous pollutants on a university campus in the center of an urban agglomeration

Abstract

Urban areas are anthropogenic sources of particulate matter emissions and gaseous pollutants, which can have negative impacts on human health and life. In this study, we examined an area of 0.42 km2in the city center of Łódź/central Poland (Central-Eastern Europe), to identify the likely sources of pollutant emissions. Field measurements were conducted in 2021. The analyzed area consists primarily of a university campus (Lodz University of Technology), with buildings from the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries at heights of 10–40 m. The spatial distributions of PM10 and PM2.5 were analyzed, as well as the spatial distributions of gaseous H2S and VOCs (from 0 to 40 m above ground level). The analyses took into account the impact of seasonal changes (winter, summer, and autumn periods) on air quality. Air quality was assessed in relation to the limit values. The measurements and analysis confirmed the complexity of the spread of pollutants in dense urban developments. Zones of accumulation of particulate matter and gaseous pollutants in leeward and windward spaces were found. It was found that the probable source of air pollution may be multi-family buildings with individual heating systems and an industrial plant located in the vicinity of the analysis area.