Surface ozone concentration variability in Moscow and Kiev

Abstract

The comparison is represented of the results of surface ozone concentration measurements in two megalopolises, Moscow and Kiev. A temporal course of ozone concentration and temperature in both cities is close by the shape and is typical of medium-polluted plain stations. In both megalopolises, two maxima are observed within the seasonal ozone concentration variability, in spring and summer, and during the day, a usual ozone concentration maximum (approximately in 2-3 hours after the local noon) and the night one being typical of big cities. An average ozone concentration and an average temperature in corresponding periods are higher in Kiev than in Moscow. Evidently, the summer maximum is associated with photochemical ozone generation processes, and the spring one, with dynamic processes of its transport in the atmosphere. In both megalopolises, the episodes are observed in the warm period under meteorological conditions being unfavorable for the pollutant scattering in the atmosphere when the ozone concentration exceeds the threshold limit value and is dangerous for health. The repeatability of such episodes is the highest one in July-August. In Kiev, such episodes are more frequent than in Moscow. An effective statistical model is constructed for both megalopolises in which the observed ozone concentration is represented in the form of regression function of temperature and relative humidity.

Trace atmospheric gases in the Karadag nature reserve in Crimea

“…Similar time vari ations in the concentrations are recorded in Moscow, Kyiv, and London [4], but with concentrations them selves being even larger (by a few orders of magni tude) at those locations. The concentrations of CO did not exceed 300 μg m -3 and showed qualitatively the same seasonal and diurnal behavior as for other primary atmospheric pollutants.…”

“…Since the Karadag sta tion is at quite a low height above sea level, it is reason able to compare the seasonal and diurnal variations at this station with plain stations [6]; at the same time, the possible effect of breeze and mountain valley cir culation on ozone variations should be taken into con sideration. QA qualitatively similar diurnal variations in the ozone concentration is observed at urban sta tions in Moscow and Kiev [4,7], but substantially larger in amplitude (which can be explained, at least in part, by stronger temperature variations in these cit ies). The mountain valley circulation may have effect on the shape of diurnal behavior of ozone concentra tion [8]; while breezes may be responsible for increased daytime ozone concentrations and for more frequent episodes with high ozone concentrations [9,10].…”

“…Concen trations of ozone (O 3 ) are measured by an optical method by the absorption of UV radiation, concentra tions of nitrogen oxides (NO and NO 2 ) are measured by a chemiluscent method, concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO) are measured by an optical method using absorption in the IR region, and concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) are measured by the pulsed flu orescence method. The error in O 3 , NO, NO 2 , CO, and SO 2 measurements is guaranteed to be no more than 15,3,4,200, and 3 μg m -3 respectively. The con centrations of suspended particles (PM 10 and PM 2.5 ) were not measured in our experiments; they are expected to influence insignificantly the air quality in view of the remoteness of observation site from indus trial sources and highways.…”

“…Figure 2 compares the seasonal behavior of ozone concentration at the Karadag station with the corre sponding time variations at different western Euro pean stations (data for western European Stations are those from World Data Center for Greenhouse Gases (WDCGG), available at http://ds.data.jma.go.jp/). This timing of seasonal extremes in ozone concen tration is characteristic for southern regions of the west ern Europe and, in particular, Mediterranean regions [9][10][11], as well as for Moscow and Kyiv [4,7]. In accor dance with the classification of ozone observation sites with respect to seasonal diurnal behavior [6], the Karadag station can be considered as a type of "pol luted plain" stations, as the above mentioned Western European stations can be characterized.…”