Urban ozone measurements using differential optical absorption spectroscopy
2004
Morales, J. A. | Treacy, J. | Coffey, S.
In order to improve the air quality in Europe the European Commission has issued a number of directives with regard to acceptable levels of a range of gaseous pollutants, which includes ozone. Therefore, monitoring of this compound is necessary to comply with EU legislation, to provide improved pollution warnings for those who are sensitive to air pollutants as well as providing valuable data for environmental planning. Open-path spectroscopic techniques, such as differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS), are ideal for monitoring pollutants because of the advantages they offer over classical methods and point-source analysers. A DOAS system has been installed in Dublin city centre to monitor a range of criteria pollutants including ozone. Observations of urban background ozone concentrations are presented. The measurements are compared with those obtained using a UV point-source analyser and are presented in the context of the current EU directive. The influence of trans-boundary pollution from mainland Europe leading to ozone episodes is also discussed. Observations of high ozone during this measurement campaign coincided with the influx of photochemically polluted air masses which originated over continental Europe. For the analysed time interval, the data suggest that the ground ozone level in Dublin might be significantly influenced by long-range transport from the United Kingdom and continental Europe.
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