Temporal and spatial variation of PM10 and SO₂ pollutants and health risk assessment of PM10 exposure in Konya province

Abstract

This study analyzed the temporal and spatial changes of PM10 and SO2 pollutants in Konya province between 2019 and 2021 and also quantitatively evaluated the health effects resulting from PM10 exposure using the World Health Organization's AirQ+ model. Annual mean concentrations of PM10 varied between 45.7 and 54.6 µg m-3, significantly exceeding the annual limit value (15 µg m-3) recommended by WHO in all years. SO2 levels notably increased, particularly in 2021. Spatial analysis results indicated that both pollutants were concentrated in urban centers and areas with low air circulation. Based on AirQ+ analyses, the number of seasonally attributable deaths due to PM10 exposure was estimated to be between 788 and 2,861 people; the highest value was recorded in the autumn of 2021, when the average PM10 concentration reached 55.4 µg m-3. The findings highlighted that PM10 pollution exhibited significant variations at both seasonal and regional levels, and this change had a direct impact on health outcomes.

Keywords

• Air Quality
• PM₁₀
• SO₂
• Spatial Distribution
• Health Risk

Konya ilinde PM10 ve SO2 kirleticilerinin zamansal ve mekânsal değişimi ile PM10 maruziyetine bağlı sağlık risk değerlendirmesi

Öz

Bu çalışma, 2019–2021 yılları arasında Konya ilinde PM10 ve SO2 kirleticilerinin zamansal ve mekânsal değişimini analiz etmiş; ayrıca PM10 maruziyetine bağlı sağlık etkilerini Dünya Sağlık Örgütü’nün AirQ+ modeli aracılığıyla nicel olarak değerlendirmiştir. PM10’un yıllık ortalama konsantrasyonu 45.7 ile 54.6 µg m-3 arasında değişmiş olup, tüm yıllarda WHO’nun önerdiği yıllık sınır değerin (15 µg m-3) oldukça üzerinde seyretmiştir. SO₂ düzeyleri ise özellikle 2021 yılında artış göstermiştir. Mekânsal analiz sonuçları, her iki kirleticinin de kentsel merkezlerde ve düşük hava sirkülasyonuna sahip bölgelerde yoğunlaştığını ortaya koymuştur. AirQ+ analizleri doğrultusunda, PM10 maruziyetine bağlı mevsimsel atfedilebilen ölüm sayısı 788 ile 2,861 kişi arasında hesaplanmış; en yüksek değer 2021 sonbaharında, ortalama PM10 konsantrasyonunun 55.4 µg m-3 olduğu dönemde gözlenmiştir. Bulgular, PM10 kirliliğinin mevsimsel ve bölgesel düzeyde belirgin farklılıklar gösterdiğini ve bu değişimin sağlık etkileri üzerinde doğrudan etkili olduğunu ortaya koymuştur.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Hava Kalitesi
• PM₁₀
• SO₂
• Mekânsal Dağılım
• Sağlık Riski

Kaynakça

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