The present research analyzes air quality in Ahvaz, a city in the south of Iran, paying special attention to sulfur dioxide (SO2). In order to prepare the average data in the city, measurements have been carried out between 2009 and 2010 in two different locations. Relations between sulfur dioxide and some meteorological parameters have been calculated statistically, using the daily average data. The wind data (velocity, direction), relative humidity, temperature, sunshine periods, evaporation and rainfall have been considered as independent variables. The RMSE Test showed that among different prediction models, the stepwise one is the best option. The average concentrations have been calculated for every 24 hours, during each month and each season. Results show that the highest concentration of sulfur dioxide occurs generally in the morning while the lowest concentration is found before the sunshine. In case of the monthly concentrations of sulfur dioxide, the highest value belongs to January, while the lowest one occurs in October. And as for the seasonal concentrations, it has been shown that the highest amounts belong to winter. Results show that quantities of SO2 in different seasons as well as the entire year can be estimated by climate parameters. Results also indicate that the relations between the SO2 and meteorological parameters are stronger than the entire year during the seasons.

In recent times, the brick kiln contributes to air pollution is one of the most emerging issues worldwide. In this research work, the Peshawar city, ambient air quality was measured, using a fixed air monitoring station to evaluate the impact of gaseous emission from brick kilns on ground level. In this study, the portable gas analyzer (PG-250) was used to quantify brick-based emitting carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) from 3 brick kilns in the city of Peshawar. It was noticed that the average concentration of SO2 and NOx exceeds the National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) of Pakistan specifically, in terms of air quality. The brick kilns in District Peshawar have shown negative effects on the environment. It is necessary to take various measures to monitor the brick kiln embosom regularly before it becomes a significant risk for individuals. In conclusion, the impact of air pollution on physical activity and sedentary behavior at a specific time may be different.

For the first time, sulfur dioxide concentration was monitored between 2005 and 2016 over Iran which is among the countries with a high SO2 emission rate in the world. To that end, SO2 column concentration at Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) was analyzed. OMI is a sensor onboard the Aura satellite which can measure daily SO2 concentration on the global scale. From OMI maps, 19 notable SO2 hotspots were detected over Iran. The results indicate that the most elevated level of SO2 among these 19 hotspots belong to Khark Island and Asaluye in Bushehr province, southwest of Iran. Annual trend analysis shows that SO2 concentration has been slightly augmented during 2005-2016 over this country. Distribution analysis of SO2 concentration over Iran showed that the most polluted provinces are Bushehr, Khuzestan and Ilam lied in the southwest of Iran. On the contrary, the lowest level of SO2 has observed over northwest of Iran at West and East Azerbaijan and Ardabil provinces. The correlation coefficient between total energy production in Iran and SO2 concentration from 2005 to 2016 is as high as ~0.7. Hence, it can be derived that energy production, most notably production of crude oil, plays a pivotal role in SO2 concentration over Iran.